The School of Business will play a critical role in the first professional development program for Connecticut’s voter registrars, teaching the classes that will lead to certification.

The program, launched on Sept. 14, consists of eight classes addressing topics such as the legal role of the registrar, how to prepare for and execute Election Day, and various state and federal voting regulations. Each registrar has two years to complete the certification program, which culminates with a final exam.

“The UConn School of Business is pleased and honored to provide this educational service, which will bring greater clarity and professionalism to the state’s election process,” says John A. Elliott, dean of the School of Business.

Classes will be taught through the school’s Connecticut Information Technology Institute (CITI), located at the Stamford campus, and registrars will be able to attend classes via live video feed at campuses throughout the state. There are 338 voter registrars in Connecticut.

The program is necessitated by the fact that the job of registrar of voters has changed significantly as election administration has become more technical and regulated at the state and federal level, according to Secretary of State Denise Merrill, Connecticut’s chief election official.

In light of the changes, Connecticut recently enacted an election reform law that mandates all registrars of voters be certified within two years of the law taking effect.

A bipartisan committee of registrars and representatives of the Secretary of State’s office, among others, generated the curriculum for the certification process.

Merrill says the program aims to give every voter a good election experience. It was requested by the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut (ROVAC), after election day issues in 2014: several polling places in Hartford opened late because of missing voter registration lists.

Even seasoned registrars will benefit from the program, she says, because of the fast pace of regulatory changes and the introduction of new technology. After registrars are certified, they will be required to receive yearly training on new election-related legislation.

Providing services to municipalities across the state, Elliott notes, is one of the many professional and career-development opportunities UConn affords residents each year.