Logicworks
Software for Elections
The Election Worker System is a complete system for managing election workers. It incorporates training, automated scheduling, class creation and management, class location management and paying election workers. It also includes automated scheduling of Early Voting workes. The goal always has been to reduce staff time, increase accuracy and make communications more efficient. The result is that
The PWPortal is a website for election workers that eliminates paper communications for election workers. All communications with election workers are by email or website entry.
The PWPortal dramatically reduces staff time that would otherwise be spent in communication with the workers.
It allows workers to:
The Email Console makes managing communications with election workers extremely easy.
After workers are scheduled for work, the system sends emails to workers to notify them to log into web portal to accept or reject election assignments and to reschedule classes if needed. This eliminates phone communications for rescheduling classes.
On the PWPortal, the clerk can see the workers that are assigned to work for them at their precinct and contact information for each.
For each voting location, a projected turnout is created by calculating turnout percent of similar elections in the past. This results in an accurate estimate of voters at each voting location and appropriate staffing.
Each position type can have its own scheduling method:
Precincts may be combined into groups for situations in which multiple precincts are located at the same voting location. The precincts are balanced into groups of similar size, based on projected turnout. Then each group is staffed as though it is a single precinct.
This eliminates having to assign workers for very small precincts.
Once the staffing requirements have been projected, classes can be created. For each location where classes are held, a schedule is created showing when time is available for a class and how many students can be accommodated. The system determines how many classes are needed at each location and creates them.
This makes it very easy for staff to create the correct number of classes in very little time.
When the clerk drops off the precinct package at the end of the election day, they can be automatically sent a text message indicating that everything is complete.
Scheduling of workers is based upon user selected criteria.
Various rules are applied as the scheduling is done.
After automatic scheduling is complete the system alerts the user if there are shortages in any of the positions.
This process schedules the correct number of workers, not too many or too few, at each precinct.
All assigned workers are also automatically assigned to a class. When the worker goes onto the PWPortal to accept the assignment, they may also choose to change from their assigned class to any of the other classes of the same type which have seats available.
When they go to class, they check in on an iPad or web enabled lap-top by typing in a few characters of their name which automatically updates the class attendance in the system. This is a time saver for staff as they no longer input attendance from paper rosters from the class sites.
The worker is sent a class reminder email prior to the class. If the worker missed class, an email is sent which provides the link to the PWPortal to reschedule the class without having to contact the elections office staff.
These emails help the workers to manage their classes without taking time of the office staff.
Often there are special tasks for which a worker may receive additional compensation, such as riding along to return items at the end of election day. The worker who is to perform a special task is selected and assigned by the clerk on the PWPortal.
This makes the payroll quicker and easier.
Workers can be assigned as standby, which also schedules them for a class. Standby workers are added to a pool and then can be easily moved into a precinct as needed.
Standby workers who end up not being needed at the polls may be paid just for the class attended or for a payment for being a standby.
Workers can be paid by work assignment and by class which allows standby workers to be paid for the class they attended even if they are not assigned to work. Workers can be paid:
Work attendance is entered by the clerk on an app for a phone, so there is no data entry to be done at the office and paychecks can be approved and cut very quickly and with very little time required.
The clerk is presented with a list of the workers scheduled to work at the precinct with check boxes next to each. The clerk then checks the workers who are present, which then goes directly into the system.
The system has been extensively enhanced to make EV scheduling much quicker and easier. It provides for worker input into availability, automatic scheduling and payroll.