In anticipation of the first fully streamlined election process in North Dakota, county officials gathered Monday to train for their upcoming duties.

More than 100 county workers who run elections across the state spent their day learning ballots, software and tricks of the trade.

"Elections don't just happen, there's many hours that go into it," said Secretary of State Al Jaeger, whose office sponsors these periodic training sessions.

The biggest change many election officials are preparing for is the full rollout of a voting program called PowerProfile.

Danette Odenbach, the voting coordinator for the North Dakota Association of Counties, said this year's univeral adoption of the system will put every county in the state on the same page. It helps track poll workers and contains a mapping function to match voters with their precincts.

It also administers a central voter file, which provides counties with a list of prior voters so they can print their voting books ahead of the election, instead of as it is happening. North Dakota does not have voter registration.

In 2006, 11 counties adopted the software as a trial. Burleigh and Morton counties were not among the trial group.

Prior to 2006, each county used its own election system. Some simply entered the data on Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, Odenbach said.

"This is new for most of our counties," she said.

Harris Bailey, Richland County auditor, said one of the challenges across the state this year will be dealing with heavy voter turnout in face of a presidential election that has drawn a lot of interest.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli.) @bismarcktribune.com