Election Certification / Recertification Program
The Certified Municipal Election Official designation was developed in 1993 by the Arizona Municipal Clerks' Association, in conjunction with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, to provide training in the area of municipal election administration. At that time municipal clerks were not permitted to attend the Election Training provided by the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. While that has changed and municipal clerks are encouraged to attend the State training for an overall understanding of the election process, it was determined that training for municipal clerks is still important since the state law and training was directed at statewide, partisan elections.
Initial Certification: The AMCA Election Training is provided once a year (usually for 1.5 days in conjunction with the AMCA Annual Conference). To become certified, a member has five years to complete 31.5 hours of election trainings* AND then complete the Election Exam with a 90% pass rate. Election Certification is valid for four years from the certification date.
*Elections trainings can consist of any combination of election education sessions provided by the AMCA Annual Elections Training, AMCA Best Practices, or the Secretary of State’s Election Training. Supporting documentation should be provided as follows:
- AMCA training – A certificate reflecting the hours of elections training completed;
- Secretary of State Election Training – A certificate that reflect hours completed, or certificates that reflect days, a copy of the agenda should also be provided.
The exam will be administered by the League at the conclusion of the AMCA Annual Elections Training for those individuals that have completed the required hours of training. The exam may also be taken by the use of a proctor within 30 days following the Annual Elections Training for those seeking certification or recertification. If a 90% pass rate is not achieved, retesting may be completed at the subsequent years training or by use of a proctor within 30 days of the subsequent years training.
Before taking the test, please complete the Application for AMCA Election Certification form and submit it to AMCAInfo@azleague.org for approval.
Notification: The League of Arizona Cities and Towns shall notify each attendee of their election exam results and the number(s) missed; notify the Education Committee of the names of the attendees that passed the election exam; and prepare electronic certificates and upload to the AMCA website.
Re-certification: For those seeking to maintain their AMCA certification status, within the four years after achieving Election Certification status, a member must complete one of the following: complete 21 hours of election trainings*; OR complete 10.5 hours of election trainings* AND take the AMCA Elections Exam with a 90% pass rate.
If recertification is not completed within four years of the initial certification date, a member must complete the initial certification process to achieve certification.
Records: Certification/recertification records shall be maintained by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.
Adopted April 2018