Our required poll worker classes just got a little more organized, and little more hi-tech.

Monday marked the first day of mandatory classes on election law and procedures for some 2,000 San Mateo County poll workers who will serve in this November’s election.  But it also marks the first election in which San Mateo County is requiring its poll workers to sign up for their class in advance - and to do it online.

In previous elections, poll workers were given a schedule and asked to simply show up for the class - required under California Elections Code - whenever they wished. Some classes would have two participants; others would have 42. Now, with advance signups on Shape the Future, the Elections Office’s Web site, class sizes can be capped and attendees can be better tracked.

Admittedly, many poll workers are not of the MySpace generation, but the Elections Office is nonetheless pushing workers to go to the Internet if they can.

“The phone’s ringing pretty steadily, and when they call, we’re trying to send them back to the Internet,” said Elections Specialist Hillary O’Connor.

But that’s not to say that poll workers who suffer from Internet phobia or otherwise don’t have access are left out in the cold; signups are still being taken via phone or over email. Still, about twice as many poll workers are getting with the 21st century program. According to O’Connor, in the last week 218 poll workers signed up online while 120 used the phone or email.

The volume of online signups, O’Connor said, is “fantastic.”

The class is essentially precinct operations 101, as it reviews new legal requirements, changes in precinct operations and the use of the eSlate electronic voting machines. Classes are tailored for first-time poll workers, Poll Worker Academy graduates (see related post), and judges and inspectors who did not graduate from the academy.

Accomodating 2,000 poll workers means a slew of classes are on the horizon. The Elections Office is offering between one and five a day, five days a week, until Nov. 3. That’s a lot of training!