To help the county officials and personnel responsible for holding efficient and secure elections, the Texas Association of Counties will be offering a new educational virtual conference over Oct. 5-6. The two half-day, online classes will be the first program of the new TAC County Elections Academy.
The new academy will not just provide practical support for election officials, said TAC Executive Director Susan M. Redford. "Elections are a core function of county government," she said, "and this academy is another opportunity for the Association to unite counties to achieve better solutions."
Virtual Registration
Once you have registered for the virtual event, a personalized participation link will be emailed to you a few days before the start of the program.
Note: Event confirmation emails will come from Events@Accelevents.com to the email address that was used to register for the event.
How to access the virtual event platform:
Conference attendees will need to access the internet and use a browser to log in and join the virtual event. Almost all internet browsers (Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.) should allow the event to be accessed, but we've found that it works most smoothly in Google Chrome, because other browsers may experience issues. Internet Explorer is not a supported browser for the event.
Google Chrome is a free download; however, some county information technology departments may require county staff to get approval before downloading new software.
| Registration Fees |
| Virtual County Official or Staff |
$175 |
NOTE: Attendance is limited to county officials and staff.
| Wednesday, Oct. 5 |
| 8-9 a.m. |
Access Event Platform |
| 9-9:50 a.m. |
Welcome
Last-Minute Details Before Early Voting
So much to do and so little time to do it in. Here are some of the things we're working on as we approach the busy early voting period.
Chris Davis, Williamson County Elections Administrator
Hon. Laura Rogers, Sherman County District/County Clerk
|
| 9:50-10 a.m. |
Break |
| 10-10:50 a.m. |
Record Retention and Management
This Session will provide an overview of the records retention schedules that apply to elections and discuss records management policies and practices. Topics will include identification, classification, preservation and available resources and guidance.
Mr. Remi Garza, Elections Administrator, Cameron County
|
| 10:50-11 a.m. |
Break |
| 11-11:40 a.m. |
Public Information Requests and Dealing with the Media
In this session we will discuss the relationship between county election officials and local media. We will also discuss county election officials' responsibilities under the Public Information Act.
Mr. Paul Miles, Assistant General Counsel, Texas Association of Counties
Mr. Cary Roberts, Casteel & Roberts
|
| 11:40 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
KP-0411 and Public Access to Election Records
In this session, we will discuss the recent attorney general opinion KP-0411. We will discuss what the opinion means, how it will impact county election officials and how counties can respond to expected increase in requests for voted ballots and other election records.
Mr. Paul Miles, Assistant General Counsel, Texas Association of Counties
Chris Davis, Williamson County Elections Administrator
|
| Thursday, Oct. 6 |
| 8-9 a.m. |
Access Event Platform |
| 9-9:50 a.m. |
Polling Places & Poll Watchers (SB1)
We will discuss polling place set-up, parking, signage, postings, emergency/temp accommodations, and other related topics. Additionally, we will discuss poll watcher Do's and Don'ts to help mitigate issues with poll watchers in your polling location.
Hon. Heather Hawthorne, Chambers County Clerk
Ms. Jennifer Anderson, Hays County Election Administrator
|
| 9:50-10 a.m. |
Break |
| 10-10:50 a.m. |
Reconciliation – Why It's Important
This presentation will cover why the reconciliation process is important throughout the election period. It will emphasize what steps you can take to prepare for the completion of the official Election Reconciliation form.
Ms. Christina Adkins, Legal Director, Secretary of State
|
| 10:50-11 a.m. |
Break |
| 11-11:30 a.m. |
Web Posting Requirements
This session we will cover some valuable tips and requirements for general elections web postings.
Hon. Laura Rogers, Sherman County District/County Clerk
Ms. Joy Watson, Senior CIRA Services Coordinator, Texas Association of Counties
|
| 11:30 a.m.-noon |
Ask the Expert: Last-Minute Details Before Early Voting
Here's a great opportunity to discuss with your peers timely topics in early voting. Take advantage of this guided discussion to learn what other counties are doing and share your ideas.
Ms. Christina Adkins, Legal Director, Secretary of State
Mr. Keith Ingram, Director of Elections, Secretary of State
Hon. Laura Rogers, Sherman County District/County Clerk
Hon. Heather Hawthorne, Chambers County Clerk
Ms. Jennifer Doinoff, Hays County Election Administrator
|
*Agenda subject to change
| Continuing Education Type |
Hours |
| County and District Clerks |
5:35 |
Tax Assessor-Collectors
(Deputies not approved by TACA) |
6 |
Conference Cancellation
All cancellation and refund requests must be received in writing (fax or email acceptable). Refunds requested before Sept. 2 are subject to a $10 processing fee. Refunds after Sept. 2 will be subject to an administrative fee equal to one-half of the registration fee. No refund requests will be honored after Oct. 14. Please email Deanna Auert to cancel your conference registration.