CRANSTON, RI – The RI Department of State and the State Board of Elections co-hosted an operational tabletop exercise for local election officials on Friday, May 17, 2024.
The tabletop exercise was facilitated by The Elections Group, a national training organization comprised of former election officials, and encouraged local boards of canvassers to collaborate with one another, including officials outside of their municipality, to brainstorm solutions and plans for dealing with potential crises. Tabletop exercises enable participants to think through their proposed response to realistic scenarios. In this exercise, all scenarios were based on actual events experienced by election officials across the country. Emphasis is placed on taking steps to understand how and why an incident occurred, the existing policies and procedures in place to respond, and communications strategies for both internal and external stakeholders.
"We know that the 2024 election cycle will present many challenges and opportunities, and preparedness is key in ensuring we are ready to face those challenges and opportunities when they arise," said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. "I thank my Elections Division, the State Board of Elections, and The Elections Group for making this opportunity available to local election officials, and I know the skills gained on Friday will serve us well in the months ahead."
"Rhode Island's Boards of Canvassers are the frontline of conducting elections in Rhode Island, and tabletop exercises like this provide excellent learning opportunities from real world incidents that have occurred around the country," said Miguel Nuñez, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Board of Elections. "We thank the Elections Group for providing this training opportunity and the Secretary of State's Elections Division for working with us through the tabletop exercises."
The RI Department of State and the State Board of Elections are committed to ensuring there are ample training opportunities for local and state election officials as the 2024 election season commences. To learn more about elections in Rhode Island, visit vote.ri.gov.
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