KINGSTON, R.I. – Oct. 10, 2025 – As election season draws near, the process of choosing the next local and national leaders goes well beyond just the public selecting their names on ballots.

Because polling processes differ across states, there’s a need for those specialized in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to provide technical support to help elections run smoothly for all involved.

It’s a topic that will be broached by the University of Rhode Island’s STEM for Elections Network in its upcoming fall virtual workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from noon to 2 p.m. The workshop, which launches the network’s 2025-26 workshop series, will be hosted by the Engineering for Democracy Institute based in the URI College of Engineering, with guests from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Election Data & Science Lab, the Center for Civic Design, as well as state-level election officials from around the country.

The free public workshop on Oct. 21, following up on the 2024-25 inaugural workshop series, is aimed at understanding unique challenges in election science (the process of how elections work). Experienced election administrators, election professionals, and academics—many with STEM backgrounds—will share their experiences working on elections.

It will also assist the public in understanding the diverse nature of election science, the importance and need for STEM within elections, and how to become involved in election operations. Registration for the workshop can be found on the University’s website.

“We’ve spent eight years now learning how elections work across the country, what you need to know and how to get into this world—because it’s hyper specific and can be challenging to navigate,” said Amber Fearn, coordinator for the EDI STEM for Elections Network, who will host the fall workshop. “We thought we would share this knowledge with people who may be interested in getting involved to help them learn more.”

Presenters at the upcoming workshop will share their experiences working with STEM in elections and highlight potential opportunities they see coming up for assisting elections officials in preparation for 2026 and beyond.

“It’s important that people have a general understanding, whether they’re from Rhode Island or anywhere else, of how their elections are personalized to their area,” Fearn said. “They should understand what is generally available to them and what processes that may be different or better are available elsewhere. Maybe it’s something they can advocate for.”

Other presenters scheduled to appear on Oct. 21 include Gretchen Macht, URI Engineering for Democracy Institute Executive Director; Rob Rock, Rhode Island Deputy Secretary of State; Bridgett King, University of Kentucky Associate Professor of Political Science; Hilary Rudy, Colorado Deputy Election Director; Charles Stewart III, MIT Election Data & Science Lab Founding Director; Whitney Quesenbery, Center for Civic Design Chief Program Officer; and Nate Young, Marcopia County, Arizona, Deputy Chief Information Officer.

Fearn also notes that in November, the EDI STEM for Elections Network will release prerecorded informational videos on the Institute’s YouTube page. The videos will detail different aspects of how elections work from an engineering perspective and from outside perspectives. The network is also working on a spring workshop.