As city clerk, it's my responsibility to ensure that the election process in the city of Madison runs smoothly. There is a lot of work that goes into planning an election. I had to plan how many people were needed at each polling place and train the election officials. I trained 1,800 election officials at 27 sessions held during the past three weeks. I also oversee the absentee voting process which this year has seen the largest number of people voting prior to the election. We are receiving bin after bin of absentee ballots from the post office on a daily basis. It's my responsibility to ensure that the ballots are kept secure in the vault in my office and that the chain of custody of the election is transparent. I place the ballot order after I determine how many are needed. If one polling place runs out, we can shift them from another polling location. If we completely run out of ballots, which I don't anticipate happening, we would have to photocopy ballots and then hand count them after the polls close. It's rewarding working with 1,800 election officials who are dedicated to making sure that the election moves efficiently. My staff in the city clerk's office is fair, open-minded and impartial. They have been a tremendous help during the election season. I've been the city clerk for two years. It's a position appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Common Council. Prior to this job, I was a license clerk in the clerk's office. I earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and political science at UW-Eau Claire and am originally from Edgerton. As city clerk, I am the custodian for all of the city records, which date back from when Madison became a city. I am responsible for the Common Council agenda and records. The clerk's office also issues liquor licenses, licenses for vending, licenses for public health and other licenses. It's challenging during election time as I average about four hours of sleep. On election night, I'll be answering phone calls, helping to troubleshoot where needed and collecting ballots as the poll workers come in with everything signed and sealed. What I Do invites people to tell in their own words what they do to make a living. The column runs every Tuesday. To suggest someone to feature, contact Jill Carlson at jillcarlson1957@gmail.com.