EDA Website Account Guide

How to Join EDA

There are many ways to participate in EDA. All of them begin with establishing an EDA web account. 

This first section of the Website Account Guide explains benefits of an EDA website account and how to set up your account.

Subsequent sections explain more about EDA e-mail options, EDA Working Groups, and EDA privacy policies.

EDA Website Account Benefits

There is more to the EDA website than just reading the content.

Opening an EDA web account enables you to participate in several ways:

• Only Web account holders can post content to the website.  Your contributions improve the resources for all.
• Receive e-mail communications from EDA and other EDA website members.  (See Account Messaging below).
• Join an EDA Working Group whenever you wish.  Your EDA web account provides access to Working Group forums and e-mail discussion lists.

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Website Account Username

Your real first and last names are required as your account Username, and will be displayed in public view. 
All other information you enter in your web account application form will remain private. 

We recognize that there may be rare exceptions to our general rule, when disclosing your real name would pose a significant personal security risk or an employment conflict (for example, if you are a public official participating as a private citizen).  E-mail info [AT] electiondefensealliance [DOT] org to request a privacy waiver.

Website Account Activation Steps

EDA web accounts are not activated automatically.  All account applications are activated after review by a human administrator.
Your real firstname/lastname Username and a valid e-mail address are required before a web account is activated.   

1. Complete your account registration form, using your real first and last names as your Username.
   
2. You will receive an automated e-mail reply bearing an account link and temporary password.  Do not click on the link until step 4 below.
3. Wait for a "Welcome" message from EDA announcing that your account has been activated.
4. Now click on the account link (from step 2 above) to log in to your My Account page.
5. The account link will take you to your My Account page where you should create a permanent password of your choice.
6. Thereafter, log in to the EDA website with your Username (your real first and last names created in step 1) and the password that you created in step 5.

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Website Account Messaging

The EDA website has an internal e-mail system that we occasionally use to send account-related notices and locally relevant event announcements.  Other EDA web account holders are also able to communicate with you via this internal mail system.  You can decide whether to receive or block these e-mail messages using the personal preference settings in you web account.

EDA does not allow the sending of SPAM.   Any web account that sends SPAM will be deleted. 

There is also a setting on this account registration form (below) that will enable you to receive an automated e-mail notice once per day if there are new content additions to the website.

EDA also has a News and Announcement list, which is our main communications channel.  The news list has a separate opt-in subscription form. (See the EDA News and Announcements Subscription section below).

EDA News and Announcements Subscription 

We invite and recommend everyone who has an EDA web account to subscribe to the EDA News and Announcement List.  Messages are sent out approximately twice a month.  Subscription to the newslist is separate from and in addition to establishing an EDA web account.

You can subscribe at any time by clicking the "Get E-mail Updates" button displayed on all pages on the EDA site or by filling in the Newsletter Subscription box.  Either will add your e-mail address to the EDA Announcements list.

EDA Working Group Registration

Opening a web account is a first step, but to "join" EDA in the fullest sense, sign up to participate in an EDA Working Group.  Working Group registration is a separate procedure after a web account is established.

There are presently 13 EDA Working Groups dedicated to specific subjects or functional roles,  (e.g. Public Education, Voting Systems, Data Analysis, etc.) enabling volunteers around the country to collaborate on projects of their choice.

Each EDA Working Group has a dedicated e-mail discussion list and forum to faciliate group collaboration on projects.

EDA Working Group members are full voting members in EDA and choose their own group Coordinator as their representative on the EDA Council.

Joining a Working Group will indicate your consent to share information from your Working Group registration form, with your fellow EDA Working Group colleagues.

EDA Privacy Policies

EDA has two levels of accounts, Web Accounts and Working Groups, and different privacy policies for each, explained below.

1. Web Accounts

Websites are often anonymous, but EDA is different.  We've got a lot of work to do together to reclaim electioral democracy.  Trust is essential.  We ask that you register with your real first and last name as your username**, and tell us a little bit about yourself.  In return, you will have read and write privileges enabling you to contribute content to the public pages of the EDA website.

Your real name will appear to other website visitors, but the rest of the information you enter in the Web Account Registration Form is visible only to EDA website administrators, and will remain private.  We will not disclose your registration information to any other parties for any reason without your express written permission.

**Privacy Waiver
We recognize that there may be rare exceptions to our general rule, when disclosing your real name would pose a significant personal security risk or an employment conflict (for example, if you are a public official participating here as a private citizen).  E-mail Info [AT] electiondefensealliance [DOT] org to request a privacy waiver, allowing you to register an account with a pseudonym.

 2. Working Groups

Personal information from the Web Account registration form and the Working Group application form is shared among EDA Coordinators and other members of the Working Groups, but is not otherwise disclosed to any external parties, for any reason, without your express written permission.