Leading in a Storm: 10 Leadership Tips for Election Officials

Local election officials are responsible for keeping essential election operations moving even when a crisis disrupts normal routines, strains staff, and demands decision-making with incomplete information. Strong leadership in a crisis can determine not only how an election office responds, but also whether staff, partner agencies, and the public retain confidence in the process.

Leading in a Storm: 10 Leadership Tips for Election Officials, a new resource from the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE), provides practical guidance to help local election officials prepare for and navigate high-pressure moments. This resource specifically addresses the human side of crisis response—from managing the physical effects of stress and making calm, decisive decisions to communicating clearly, supporting staff, and coordinating effectively with law enforcement and other partner agencies.

This resource helps election officials prioritize critical functions such as ballot processing, Election Day operations, chain of custody, and certification while maintaining consistent public communication to protect trust in the election. The Crisis Leadership Checklist provides actionable steps for the first 15 minutes, first hour, and sustained response to an incident.

Whether responding to a security threat, operational disruption, or other emergency, Leading in a Storm gives election officials a practical framework to stay calm, lead decisively, coordinate effectively, and keep elections running safely and securely.