STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Ryan Baldassario, Director of Engagement
Ryan, many people will find themselves at the polls on Election Day (Nov. 4), but you’ll be there for much of the day. Tell us about your role as a poll worker and what type of background or training was required.
It’s surprisingly easy to get involved in your town or city on Election Day – you just need to know where to look. Municipalities usually post calls for poll workers on their websites, in local papers, or on their social media, often in late summer leading up to the election.
Training varies by town, but volunteers typically meet with the two party-affiliated registrars, review a town-specific guide, and then break into groups by role. I’ve usually served as a greeter – directing people to the right lines or offices for same-day registration or voter updates – or as a voter tracker at the check-in tables.
This year, for the first time, I’ll be a ballot clerk. That means managing and counting ballots throughout the day and making sure each voter gets exactly one. Anyone can step into these roles – the hardest part is just saying, “Yes, I’m interested.”
When did you start volunteering in this way, what does it entail, and why is it important to you?
I’ve been a civics nerd since my first American Government class in high school, and I got even more hooked when I took “Contemporary Issues,” a hands-on course that encouraged learning experiences outside of the classroom. One of the tasks was serving as a poll worker on Election Day. I continued doing it in college for a political science class at CCSU and again later in life.
So far, I’ve worked four presidential elections – 2008, 2012, 2020, and 2024 – and this year will be my first focused on local municipal races. I see it as important work because we don’t often see younger people involved locally. That’s something I want to help change.
As Director of Engagement at the School of Public Policy – and as a father of a young son – you already have a lot on your plate. Why is it important to you to serve in this way?
For my students, who are on the front lines in municipalities, state agencies, and nonprofits, I want to model the importance of giving back locally, even when time is tight. For our alumni, they do so much to support our current School initiatives and our students, and I’m inspired to match their energy and commitment.
And for my son, Tommy, I want him to grow up in a community and country that value civic engagement, thoughtful debate, and collaboration – and where people understand they have a voice in shaping their world.
I couldn’t do any of this without my rock, my wife Kathleen, and I owe her a huge thank you for handling Tommy’s bath on Election Night while I’m passing out the last ballots.
Tell us about the Registrar of Voters (ROV) training program that the School offers.
The Registrar of Voters Education and Certification Exam Program (ROV program) was established by the Connecticut General Assembly in the early 2010s to train new registrars – the elected officials who oversee elections in each of the state’s 169 municipalities.
Registrars ensure fair, safe, and accurate elections and manage primaries, referenda, and voter registration functions throughout the year. From 2015 to 2023, the program was housed in UConn’s School of Business before transitioning to the School of Public Policy in late 2023.
While SPP serves as the program’s academic home, the courses are taught by attorneys specializing in election law and administration, in close coordination with the Office of the Secretary of the State. The ROV program sets statewide standards for registrar training, examination, and certification, covering election laws and regulations, voter registration, absentee and early voting, and post-election procedures like audits and recanvassing.
Why is civic engagement important, especially for younger voters?
While I’m now closer to salt-and-pepper hair than to my first time voting, I’m still the youngest Election Day worker in my town by decades. I want to change that.
As an undergrad in college, I wrote my honors thesis on ways to make civics education more experiential – getting students into local board and commission meetings so they can see government in action. Without that exposure, young people risk becoming bystanders to government rather than participants. I’d much rather our youth be informed and flip the script and do what they can to put themselves in these rooms, boards, conversations – and elections themselves when necessary.
Scrolling or reposting is easy. It takes courage to stand up, engage, and build coalitions with friends, neighbors, and even those who disagree with you. That’s where real change happens.
Any message for students this Election Day?
Challenge yourself. Read candidate statements in local papers or on social media. Talk to your friends about who they’re voting for – if they’re able to vote. Take advantage of early voting if you have work or class conflicts.
Whatever you do – don’t ignore local elections! While national issues dominate our social media feeds, state and local elections have more direct implications for your daily lives.