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Election Week Toolkit

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Free steps, scenarios and guides for school leaders, for the days before and after.

Before Election Day · Tuesday, November 3

You do not need to overhaul your program in the days before the election. A few small steps, taken in order, are enough to help your community stay steady. Most take 15 minutes or less.

Start now

As soon as you can

About 15 minutes each. These are the steps that make everything else easier.

  • Name your decision owner. Confirm who decides that the school schedule should change if there is an unexpected event such as political unrest, and who the backup decision-maker is.
  • Revisit your procedures. Walk the people who would carry out lockdown, secure campus and shelter-in-place through the steps once more.
  • Check your reporting channel. Make sure staff know where and how to report concerns about community tension or threats.
  • Test your alerts and contact lists. Confirm that your family and staff notifications reach people, and fix any outdated numbers.
A few days before

Hold a short staff huddle

About 10 minutes, ideally before the weekend.

  • Share the plan. Remind staff where to send a student who is upset, how to reach the office quickly in an emergency, and who is authorized to make decisions about school closures.
  • Set the tone. Agree on a simple expectation for respectful conversation at work and in classrooms.
The day before

Monday, November 2

Get the details settled so Tuesday can be ordinary.

  • Confirm polling-place arrangements. If your campus hosts a polling place, make sure the entrances and directions are well marked, and check in with the point person at your local election office.
  • Know your local contacts. Keep the numbers for local law enforcement and your election office handy.
Election Day

Tuesday, November 3

Keep the day as normal as possible.

  • Keep routines steady. The usual schedule, meals and movement give students and staff something predictable.
  • Check official sources. Use official local sources for updates, and name one person to monitor them so everyone else can focus.
  • Pause before you respond. One slow breath before replying to a heated email, comment or post gives you room to answer the way you intend.
The days after

Wednesday, November 4 and beyond

Results may take a few days to settle.

  • Communicate if needed. If there is unrest in your community, send a short, factual message that acknowledges what is happening and explains how the school is handling it.
  • Check in with people. Notice who on your team or among your students seems quiet or stretched, and ask how they are doing.
  • Make room to talk. Listening goes a long way, and it is fine to hold a boundary on political debate at work.
  • Debrief. Spend 10 minutes on what worked and what you would change, while it is fresh.
Election Week · 6 Cards

Two-minute scenarios for your leadership team to talk through before the week begins, from a hallway debate to a polling place on campus.

Before You Start

How to Run This

6election-week scenarios
2 minto read each card aloud
Joffe Emergency Services
  1. Read the setup out loud, then hand the two named roles to whoever’s in the room. No prep needed.
  2. Work through it live: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?
  3. Tap the card to flip it and check your thinking against Joffe’s guidance, then talk about what fits your school. Tap again to flip it back.

There’s no single right answer here. Talking it through together is the point.

People · Students 01/6
De-escalation

The hallway debate

Two students are in a heated argument about the election in the hallway between classes, and a small crowd is gathering. A teacher is the first adult to arrive.

🎭 Who Plays This
TeacherDean / Counselor
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

The hallway debate, in practice

  • NowStay calm, keep a respectful distance, and give the students space apart rather than using force. Ask others to move along.
  • NextTalk with each student privately. Listen first, then restate the school’s expectations for respectful conduct.
  • LaterFollow your usual conduct process, notify families as you normally would, and check in with both students over the next few days.

Takeaway: Listening first lowers the temperature faster than correcting first.

Tap to flip back ↻
Operations · Dismissal 02/6
Dismissal and perimeter

A crowd near campus

At 2:30 a demonstration forms on a public street a block from campus, just as dismissal begins. Some families are already in the car line.

🎭 Who Plays This
Head of SchoolFront Office / Safety Lead
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

A crowd near campus, in practice

  • NowGet information from official sources such as local law enforcement and the city, and decide whether to adjust dismissal routes or hold students inside a little longer.
  • NextTell families through your main channel what is changing and where to pick up students, and give staff the plan in one short message.
  • LaterDebrief who made the call, how long it took, and how the message reached families.

Takeaway: Decide in advance who can change dismissal and how fast a message can reach families.

Tap to flip back ↻
Communication · Families 03/6
Family communication

The 7 a.m. family email

On Wednesday morning, there are widespread claims that the election results in your area were tampered with, and calls for mass protests are circulating. Rumors about school closures are spreading on social media, and families are emailing the front office to ask whether school is open.

🎭 Who Plays This
Communications LeadHead of School
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

The 7 a.m. family email, in practice

  • NowConfirm your own plan, then send one short, factual message: whether school is open and what is normal today.
  • NextUse one trusted channel as the source of truth, and tell families when the next update will come, even if nothing has changed.
  • LaterKeep your drafts and note the questions families asked, so next time the first message is already half written.

Takeaway: A short message early is more useful than a long message late.

Tap to flip back ↻
People · Staff 04/6
Boundaries at work

The staff group chat

Messages in a staff group chat are getting heated after election night, and a teacher mentions sharing a strong opinion with their class.

🎭 Who Plays This
PrincipalHR / Administrator
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

The staff group chat, in practice

  • NowSpeak with the teacher privately, and listen first. Then remind them of your expectations for professional conduct and balanced classrooms.
  • NextSend one brief reminder to all staff so no one is singled out, and point to the people they can talk to for support.
  • LaterCheck in with the teacher and the wider staff a few days later, and see whether people need space to talk.

Takeaway: Boundaries land best when they are private for an individual and general for the group.

Tap to flip back ↻
Operations · Facilities 05/6
Campus access

The polling place on campus

Your gym is a polling place on Tuesday. Voters start arriving during morning drop-off, and no one is sure which entrance they should use.

🎭 Who Plays This
FacilitiesFront Office
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

The polling place on campus, in practice

  • NowConfirm with your local election office which areas voters may use, and use signage and cones to keep voter and student routes apart.
  • NextName one staff point person for the day, and give the front office the election office’s phone number.
  • LaterNote what worked and write it down for whoever plans the next election day.

Takeaway: Talk with your election office before Tuesday and keep voter and student areas clearly separate.

Tap to flip back ↻
People · Students 06/6
Supporting students

The worried student

A student stays after class and says they are scared about what will happen after the election.

🎭 Who Plays This
TeacherSchool Counselor
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

The worried student, in practice

  • NowListen without rushing to fix it, name the feeling, and share what the school is doing to keep everyone safe.
  • NextOffer a conversation with the counselor, and let the student’s family know.
  • LaterCheck back in a few days later, and share age-appropriate resources.

Takeaway: Reassure with facts about what you are doing, and avoid promising what you cannot control.

Tap to flip back ↻
Free Guides · 3 Resources

Ready-to-use guides you can share with your team. The Joffe Academy toolkits open with a free account, and it takes about a minute to join.

  • School Safety During the Political Season Toolkit

    Nine ready-to-use guides: Election Week De-Escalation Techniques, Supporting Students Through Election Season and Conflict, Guide to Safely Operating a Polling Place on a School Campus, Responding to Political Protests or Violence on Campus, Setting Boundaries with Staff and Faculty, Political Unrest Mini Tabletops, Employee Leave Policies for Election Day, Involving Students in Politics (Mock Elections), and Preventing and Responding to Racial Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying.

    Open toolkit

  • Political Violence Response Toolkit

    Checklists for when school is and is not in session, plus templates for communicating with parents and with staff.

    Open toolkit

  • Stop the Fear Factory

    A short read on why calm, practiced preparedness serves schools better than alarm.

    Read

We’re Here If You Want to Talk It Through

If you would like to think through your plans, ask a question, or sort out who decides what, call 1-800-913-6270 or write to support@joffeemergencyservices.com. We would be glad to help.

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