The Big Four Blog Series: Urgent Business | Why
NOW is the “Right Time” to Update Your Current
Election Ecocycle
Welcome back to our Big Four blog series. So far we’ve explored the diverse topic of chain of custody as well as identified a few “elephants in the room” as part of our journey into your day-to-day world as an election official. Today, we are learning more about creating a sense of urgency within the election space.
While private citizens consider elections a periodic event, precipitated by intense bursts of activity a few times per year, election officials know that maintaining a successful election ecocycle is a year-round process. So what do you do all year round? Do you work a full-time job? All of these are common questions for those tasked with working in the election system.
Ironically, it is because election officials work so hard year-round, that many citizens do not grasp all they do.
This creates a dilemma. When is the best time to introduce an upgrade or change, given we are busy year-round? The simple answer is NOW. Yes, there will always be a valid reason to delay
There is no better time than today to address an area that needs attention.
The now-familiar elephant in the room, first introduced in previous blogs in this series, makes its way back into the scene. Creating a sense of urgency is challenging. There will be team members who will push hard against changing anything “now”. Resistance to sudden change is normal and part of being human. As leaders, we need to navigate this resistance, anticipating the obstacles, and bringing our team to a better place.
Let’s make the necessary changes now! If securing the budget to make changes now isn’t realistic, commit to take one first step. Are there Federal Funds or HAVA funds available? Is there an area which will have a greater impact than others, which you can fund “just to start”?
Implementing a solution now has great benefits. Not only will it save money in the long run, but you’ll also be freeing up your team to focus on other critical areas of election readiness. Rather than being bogged down in redundant tasks, adopting new, more efficient processes can revolutionize productivity.
Taking smaller, critical steps now, enables you and your team to be ready sooner. It starts with cultivating a sense of urgency. So what are you waiting for?
On the next installment of our Big Four blog series, we will be launching into a comprehensive overview of election readiness. We are so excited to explore this multifaceted topic with you.
Check back soon to read all about it.