Election board approves poll-worker training after removing attached exhibits, requires Monday review of emergency procedures

The Monroe County Election Board at a special meeting approved the 2026 poll-worker training manual after voting to remove attached exhibits from the resolution and directing that inspectors review emergency procedures with poll workers the Monday before election day.

Board members debated whether the distributed training materials meet statutory requirements after staff read an email from Molly Turner King advising the board "not [to] approve the training material until they are provided with some information regarding how the statutory required elements of the training are met." An election office official told the board the absentee and overseas training content is delivered through the statewide system (SVRS) via a course called VRAPSA and said the state election commission had indicated the training manual "fully meets state statute as it is."

A board member moved "to amend the resolution to not attach training materials for safety concerns and safety of poll workers and voters and the integrity of the election itself." The board conducted a roll-call vote on the amendment; it carried 3 to 1. After the amendment passed, a motion to approve the training materials incorporating that change was made and seconded. Members raised minor edits (for example, replacing "inspector" with "lead" in early-voting guidance) and operational clarifications such as ensuring phone numbers are functioning.

On emergency protocols, staff explained that location-specific emergency information is included in the election-day binder that inspectors receive and that pickup day serves as an item-by-item review; staff agreed to add a checklist item making explicit that inspectors must review emergency plans with their poll-worker teams the Monday night before the election. The board agreed to amend the checklist accordingly.

The board closed the item after confirming the approved packet would be finalized and redistributed to the members and that the inspector and judge materials would be placed in the binders used at each polling location.