ABSENTEE Presenters Terri - PowerPoint Presentation

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ABSENTEE

PresentersTerri Harman, ELECTTerry Wagoner, ELECTArielle Schneider, ELECT

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Annual Training Absentee Agenda

Absentee Basics

Receiving Absentee Ballots

Ineligible Elections on Absentee Applications

Tracking Absentee Ballots

FWABs

Close of Books

Questions

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Absentee Basics

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AB:

Absentee Ballot

OAB: Online Absentee Ballot

FPCA: Federal Post Card Application

FWAB: Federal Write In Absentee Ballot

Ongoing applications: Absentee ballot applications that are good for every election over an extended time period

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UOCAVA: Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

grants special voting rights for

1. Uniformed service members

2. + families with them

3. Overseas

Citizens

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Types of Absentee Ballot Applications

*SBE-701 Virginia Absentee Ballot Application*FPCA (Federal Post Card Application)*SBE-703.1 Annual Absentee Ballot ApplicationFWAB (Federal Write In Absentee Ballot)Emergency Absentee Ballot ApplicationIn Person Absentee Application*Can be submitted from the Citizen Portal

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SBE-701 Virginia Absentee Ballot Application

One action:

Request

an Absentee Ballot

Available to all registered voters in Virginia with a reason

Good for one election

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SBE-701 Virginia Absentee Ballot Application

Reasons

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FPCA (Federal Post Card Application)

Two actions:Register to voteApply for an absentee ballotAvailable to Uniformed service members + families with them, Overseas CitizensGood for all applicable elections for the current year until 12/31 following year

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SBE 703.1 Annual Absentee Ballot Application

One action:

Absentee ballot application onlyAvailable for any registered voter in Virginia with a disability or illness likely to last at least a yearRequires a signature from one ofGood for all applicable elections for the current year through 12/31Send reminders to Annual absentee voters by Dec 15 (Labels print from the Annual Absentee Ballot Reminder Labels report)

Licensed physicianLicensed disability services providerAccredited Religious Practitioner

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FWAB (Federal Write In Ballot)

Three actions:Register to VoteRequest an Absentee Ballot Vote a BallotAvailable to Uniformed service members + families with them, Overseas CitizensGood for one election

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TypeSBE-701*AnnualFPCAFWABOngoingNoYes – 1 yearYes – 2 yearsNoUOCAVA onlyNoNoYesYesVoter RegistrationNoNoYesYesAbsentee Ballot ApplicationYesYesYesYesBallot to VoteNoNoNoYes

Summary of the Absentee Ballot Applications

*Emergency and In Person Absentee Ballot Applications also apply

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VERIS Absentee ProcessLocality: Approves Absentee Ballot (AB) Application

VERIS:

Creates Approved AB Application

Creates Ballot record

Creates ABS mailing label

(if sent by mail)

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VERIS Absentee ProcessLocality: Generates Ongoing Ballots:

VERIS:

Creates ballot

records

from

ongoing absentee applications not expired before the election

Generates ABS

mailing

labels

(for each ballot created if

sent by mail)

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VERIS Absentee ProcessLocality: Sets ballot ready date (mail and email)

VERIS:

Sets ballot status on “Not Issued” ballot

records

to

“Issued”

Sets

Date

Issued on ballot records

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VERIS Absentee ProcessLocality: Prints mailing labels

VERIS:Creates Certificate of Mailing

Locality:

Mails and emails ballots

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VERIS Absentee ProcessLocality: Receives ballot Updates ballot status to “Marked” or Unmarked”

VERIS:

Creates

Voter Credit

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Receiving Absentee Ballots

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GREB Handbook 7.14.2 (Page 59 Chapter 7)

Enter the “Ballot Received by Method” and the “Ballot Status” to indicate whether Envelope B was returned “Marked” or “Unmarked.”

How to Receive Absentee Ballots

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Marked or Unmarked Ballot Status

“Marked” if:Ballot is returned in Envelope B (even with no marks on the ballot)“Unmarked” if:Ballot is undeliverable (“Undeliverable” in ballot status reason)Envelope B is unused or blank

How to Receive Absentee

Ballots

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What happens if Absentee Ballots are not Received in VERIS

Voter is not given voter credit

for the election. This could result in NCOA actions.

This applies to Marked, Pre-processed, On Machine status only.

Absentee voter credit and Central Absentee Precinct voter turnout report don’t match.

The Citizen Portal (as required by § 24.2-711.1) is inaccurate.

The Public Absentee Ballot Applications list (as required by §§ 24.2-706 and 710) is inaccurate.

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Voter Credit Before and After AB Receipt

Before AB Receipt

After AB Receipt-Marked

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Citizen Portal AB Receipt

Before

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After

Citizen Portal AB Receipt

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Scanning Ballot Receipts

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Batch the envelopes by date received and received by method

Enter the date received and Received by Method for each batch

Scanning Ballot Receipts

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Receiving Ballots

Scan the barcode from the return label of the ballot received

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VERIS defaults the Status to “Marked”, Status Reason to “Ballot Returned”

Receiving Ballots

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Adjust the status and status reason as necessary, click “Save”

Receiving Ballots

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Unmarked AB Receipt

Unmarked-Undeliverable

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Receiving Ballots Sent By Email

Run the “Absentee Email Return Labels” report from the Reports Library

Affix the labels to the return envelopes

This allows you to:

1. Scan the receipt of the ballots into VERIS2. Makes it easier for the CAP team to pull up the voter during pre-processing and on Election Day

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Ineligible Elections

on

AB Applications

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Absentee Ballot applications with ineligible election dates

Subset from November 2017:

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Impacts of incorrect election dates

Out

of compliance with Code

Voter will not get voter credit for the election in which they voted

Voter will get voter credit for an election in the future which they may vote in later

Time-consuming for many ELECT staff to correct

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Out of compliance with Code § 24.2-701 AAn application for an absentee ballot may be accepted the latter of 12 months before an election or the day following any election held in the twelfth month prior to the election in which the applicant is applying to vote.

Impacts of incorrect election dates

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Impacts of incorrect election

datesVoter Credit

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Daily Effort to Correct:ELECT IT must run query daily-up to an election-to identify incorrect election datesELECT IT prepares the report and sends to Election Services (ES) ManagerES Manager reviews the list to confirm the fixes are requiredES Manager sends the confirmed list to Liaison manager

Impacts of incorrect election dates

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Daily Effort to CorrectLiaison manager provides list to LiaisonsLiaisons identify any in the locality and call each localityLiaison must explain the issue to be corrected to each localityLiaison must step the locality through the process to correct the election date

Impacts of incorrect election dates

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Tracking

Absentee Ballots

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Tracking Absentee Ballots

Absentee ballots from the locality to the voter are automatically trackable using Intelligent Mail Barcodes (

IMb

)

Absentee ballots from the voter back to the locality are only trackable with

IMb

if a locality elects to track them in that direction

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Generate Tracking for Incoming Ballots

To generate the optional label for tracking from voter to locality, check the box in System Preferences under Administration

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Intelligent Mail Barcode

Automatically Generated

Optionally Generated

ABS Mailing Label Example

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Ballot Tracking

Three entities involved in ballot tracking:

VERIS application

USPS (initiator of IMB)

Ballot Scout application by Democracy Works

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VERIS - Tracking Absentee Ballots

When AB applications are approved and the ballot is created, VERIS does two things:Creates the mailing label with bar codes

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VERIS - Tracking Absentee Ballots

Sends tracking information to Ballot Scout

StateZipVoterBoundIMBarcodePartnerBoundIMBarcodeExternalIdElectionDate

LastName

FirstName

MiddleName

Suffix

FullAddress

FullAddressLine2

City

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The scanning is only done by USPS in the post offices not by the postal carriers.

USPS - Tracking Absentee Ballots

USPS should scan the ballot envelopes at each step during the mailing process.

If USPS fails to scan at any step, that information will not be available in the tracking information in the Ballot Scout software.

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USPS - Tracking Absentee Ballots

Election

Total Absentee Ballots

Ballots Not

Scanned

Scan Rates

2017 Nov Gen

92,159

11,226

88%

2018 June Primary

11,897

2,367

80%

2018 Nov

Gen

168,007

11,760

93%

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https://ballotscout.org/partners/<LOCALITY-ID>/search

Ballot Scout Voter Tracking

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https://ballotscout.org/login

 

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Current Ballot Location

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Days in Service by Destination

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Mailing Progress

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Ballot Tracking Summary

In summary, there is nothing the locality must do to trigger ballot tracking unless:

Locality elects to opt in to track ballots from the voter to the locality

Ballot Scout software is a mirror of what USPS and VERIS provides Ballot Scout

The intelligent mail barcode is based on specs from USPS

Gaps in tracking is a failure of USPS to scan the envelopes

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Absentee Ballot Training:

FWABs

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WELCOME

Hello I am Terry Wagoner with the Department of Elections.

I am your Facilitator for today’s training on UOCAVA and

UOCAVA form (FWAB) Federal Write-In-Absentee Application.

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Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

What is UOCAVA?

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986

Law passed by the Federal Government in the 99

th

United States Congress on 08/28/1986

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FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT(FWAB)Training and Review

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On the following slide please see what the official FWAB

(Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot) application looks like.

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WHAT IS A FEDERAL WRITE IN APPLICATION(FWAB)

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1. Are FWABS the same as FPCAS?

No. You cannot send future ballots on a FWAB.

2. Are FWABS referred to as a double hitter?

No. The FWAB is a Triple Hitter which includes: Registration, Application for a single ballot and the Ballot within.

3. You may change registration with a FWAB?

Yes.

4. Is a witness signature required on a FWAB?

Absolutely. The voter’s signature and witness signature are required.

Let’s Review FWAB’S

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LET’S REVIEW FWAB’S Cont.

6. Can you send ballots out on a FWAB?

No. This is a one-time only ballot enclosed with the application.

7. Can a FWAB be used for registration?

Yes. Registration and any changes used for registration.

8. If no ballot comes with the FWAB do you ignore the application?

No. Remember the FWAB is now used for Registration purposes.

9. If there are no FPCA’S on file then does the FWAB count?

Yes. It is no longer required to have a matching FPCA. However if you do and the FPCA ballot comes on or before 7:00 p.m. election night you count the FPCA ballot.

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REMEMBER THE 6 ITEMS THAT MUST BE ON A FWAB

1. The voter’s signature

2. The voter’s printed name

3. The county or city in which he/she are registered to vote and offers to vote

4. The residence address at which he/she are registered to vote

5. Current military or overseas address

6. Finally the signature of a witness on the current application.

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Please see the following Slide

The chart will help guide you in defining applicants for the FPCA and FWAB classifications. I think you will find this most helpful. This was offered by a locality that has many such applications in every election.

Please note the recent Revision was June 2018.

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-FWAB

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This

concludes

my

presentation.

I hope this has helped and given you a better understanding of

FWAB

s

(Federal Write In Applications).

Please

do not hesitate at any time contacting me with questions.

It

was a pleasure presenting to you today.

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Contact Information

Terry Wagoner, Manager

Community Relations & Compliance Support

Virginia Department of Elections

Washington Building

1100 Bank Street, 1st Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

Terry.Wagoner@elections.Virginia.gov

- Email

(804)

864-8937

– Direct

(800) 552-9745 – Toll

Free(804

) 371-0194 –

Fax

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Close of Books

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Close of Books

Voter registration in Virginia is

suspended

before every election.

Registration closes 22 days before general and primary elections

Special elections called by the Governor, Speaker, Pro Tempore or House, registration closes 6

days before

All other special elections: books close for 13 days

Exception

: Active-duty, Overseas Military and their dependents can register at any time.

In-Person Exception: Overseas citizens who are normally absent from their city/county can register in person up to and including Election Day

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Persons Eligible for In-Person Late Voter Registration

Any active duty military, spouses or dependents. Any citizen temporarily residing overseas.

During close of books: military, spouses and dependents can register to vote in-person, by mail, or by submitting a federal postcard application or federal write-in absentee ballot.

During close of books: citizens residing temporarily overseas may register to vote in-person only.

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How Changes to Voter Registration Affect Absentee

When: Books are OPEN

Scenario 1. Voter applied for, was approved to receive, and was sent the ballot, but

has not yet returned the ballot

. Voter submits a change-of-address form.



Voter leaves state = Cancel AB/Cancel VR

(unless it’s a Presidential)



Voter leaves locality = Cancel AB

. (Voter is ineligible to vote in your locality.)



Voter moves

within

your locality = Check AB to determine whether the in-locality move altered the voter’s eligibility to vote in the election for which she was sent an AB.

If in-locality move does not result in the voter changing precincts or wards, leave the AB.

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When: Books are OPEN

Scenario 2. Voter approved for AB, completes and returns the AB. Voter then submits a change-of address.

Voter leaves state = Count the Absentee Ballot. Cancel VR.

Voter leaves locality = Count the Absentee Ballot. Why?

Because it was requested, authorized, voted, and returned prior to altering the voter’s status.

Voter moves within your locality = Count the Absentee Ballot.

Because it was requested, authorized, voted, and returned prior to altering the voter’s status.

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When: Books are CLOSED**

Scenario 3. Voter received but has not returned AB. Voter submits a change of address.

While books are closed, you won’t be processing address updates, so you won’t encounter this!

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QUESTIONS?