Brianna Lennon passes along the following:

Local election officials faced unprecedented challenges while administering elections in 2020, from widespread disinformation to COVID-19 safety precautions. Unlike in previous election cycles, though, the global pandemic prevented officials from connecting in person to commiserate, share best practices, and support each other. As we pushed through the election cycle, we were left with virtual communication that paled in comparison to the networks built during conferences, trainings, and seminars.

Every election administrator knows that one of the most important elements of in-person experiences is the informal conversation that happens during breaks, meals, and down-time. That’s when burning questions about elections in other jurisdictions are answered, Election Day logistics puzzles are solved through brainstorms, and officials can copy and steal successful projects and practices from their colleagues. Losing those connections was extremely difficult on administrators that were already under tremendous pressure to (sometimes singled-handedly) be experts in cybersecurity, social media, mail operations, public health, disinformation, and elections all at once.

While administrators received resources and virtual guidance, it was impossible to re-create those conversations or ensure each of our colleagues received the same messages and support. In that spirit, in December of 2020, High Turnout Wide Margins launched to fill the void and give administrators an outlet for discussing the nuts and bolts of elections. Co-hosts Brianna Lennon, an elected county clerk in Boone County, Missouri and Eric Fey, an appointed director of elections in St. Louis County, Missouri, talk to subject-matter experts on topics like cybersecurity (Geoff Hale, Matt Masterson, Eddie Perez, and Noah Praetz), disinformation (Genya Coulter, Halei Watkins, and Al Schmidt), and elections integrity (Ryan Macias, Monica Childers, and Joseph Kirk). These interviews allow local election administrators to ask the questions that are most meaningful to their work and talk with colleagues about how to best approach issues like voter education in an environment rife with disinformation.

High Turnout Wide Margins (https://anchor.fm/highturnoutwidemargins) has been popular among self-proclaimed election nerds because these granular and open conversations are at the heart of good election administration.