Trust in election results is a foundational aspect of our American democracy. Local media have a significant role to play in accurately reporting on election administration – both when the election is correctly administered and when there are discrepancies.
In an effort to educate WNA members about the latest in Wisconsin election administration rules and regulations, we are partnering with Pillars of the Community to host a webinar with election administrators from the state and local level who will provide an overview of Wisconsin’s uniquely decentralized elections process and answer any questions attendees might have on issues including absentee voting requirements, voter rolls, voter registration, and more.
These top Wisconsin election officials will team up to present a Thursday, July 23 Election Reporting session coordinated by the WNA from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom.
Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe and Rock County Clerk Lisa Tollefson will ensure WNA members are equipped with the information needed to accurately report on the upcoming August fall primary and November fall general elections.
Meet the Presenters
Meagan Wolfe — Working as administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wolfe serves as the state’s chief election official. Meagan was appointed by the bi-partisan, six-member commission in February 2018 and unanimously confirmed by the Wisconsin State Senate in May of 2019 for a four-year term.
Serving as an election security advocate and ambassador for the needs of Wisconsin’s clerks and voters are among her highest priorities. A significant part of her job is ensuring that Wisconsin’s 1,922 local election officials (the most of any state) have the resources and technology they need to conduct elections.
Meagan previously served as WEC’s Deputy Administrator and IT Director, managing the teams that develop and maintain the statewide voter registration system, election security, and all other IT applications of the Commission. She joined state service in 2011, starting as the state’s voter outreach coordinator and later as an elections IT project manager leading a major redesign of the MyVote Wisconsin voter information portal (myvote.wi.gov).
Lisa Tollefson — Serving as the chief election officer for Rock County, Lisa began her work in election administration in 2010 as a Town Clerk for the Town of Harmony in Rock County. In 2015, she was appointed Rock County Clerk and is currently serving in her third elected term.
Lisa is a Wisconsin Certified Municipal Clerk, a Wisconsin Election Commission Certified Election Trainer and works as an instructor for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay-Election Academy.
Lisa is the current Past President of the Wisconsin County Clerks Association (WCCA), and member of WCCA Legislative Committee.
Register
The WNA will facilitate this important and free Wisconsin elections webinar. Advanced registration is encouraged by clicking here.
The deadline to register is Monday, July 20th. Please join us to learn the latest about Wisconsin election administration in advance of what will likely be very closely contested elections in both August and November.
About Pillars of the Community
The Pillars of the Community organization seeks to bolster faith in elections by hosting conversations between politically diverse community leaders and election officials about the ongoing work at the state and local levels to deliver an election that meets voter expectations of reliability and security. These conversations enable individuals to gain a firsthand understanding of the electoral process and share their assessment with the public.
Do you have a continuing education webinar idea?
This webinar is part of the WNA’s continuing education efforts.
If you have an idea for a future continuing education session, please email WNA Executive Director Beth Bennett at beth.bennett@wnanews.com.
