Most jurisdictions require voters to confirm their identity with a signature or other personally identifying information. The signature or information submitted by a voter must then be checked to confirm that the voter is, in fact, who s/he claims to be. This process requires time and attention, but is critical to the voting process.

If you participate in the identity confirmation process, you’ll select a shift at an elections administration office, receive training on the procedures within your jurisdiction, and report on the status and any challenges at your assigned location.

Tabulation machines have difficulty reading some ballots, usually because the ballot has been damaged (with a coffee stain, for example) or because it was marked poorly (the voter’s pen went outside the lines when filling in a bubble, for example).

These ballots may be sent for adjudication and duplication — a process in which elections officials determine how the voter was attempting to vote, and create a duplicate ballot that is consistent with the voter’s intent which can be read by the tabulation machines. This process requires time and attention, but ensures that every vote is counted accurately.

If you participate in the adjudication and duplication process, you’ll select a shift at an elections administration office, receive training on the procedures within your jurisdiction, and report on the status and any challenges at your assigned location.

Election equipment must be tested periodically to ensure the accurate tabulation of ballots. This typically involves running a batch of test ballots through a tabulation machine and confirming that the resulting vote count is accurate. This process provides confidence in the reliability of election equipment and the final vote count.

If you participate in the logic and accuracy testing, you’ll select a shift at an elections administration office or polling place, receive training on the procedures within your jurisdiction, and report on the status and any challenges at your assigned location.

The vote–counting process is almost entirely automated. This substantially increases the speed and accuracy of vote tabulation but, because this step is critical to the outcome of elections, it still requires human oversight and basic procedural controls.

If you participate in the tabulation process, you’ll select a shift at an elections administration office, receive training on the procedures within your jurisdiction, and report on the status and any challenges at your assigned location.

After all the votes have been counted, elections officials agree on and certify the official vote count. This process is usually straightforward, but it’s where the rubber meets the road; it’s the most critical step in the administration of an election.

If you participate in the canvassing and certification process, you’ll select a shift at an elections administration location, receive training on the procedures within your jurisdiction, and report on the status and any challenges at your assigned location.