* *** 2012_ELECTION_MANUAL_2012-03-25 TXT - 25 Mar 2012 16:02:18 - JKNAUTH Review of 3/23/12 Class Material ====== == ======= ===== ======== Below are my comments on the material distributed at the 3/23/12 Precinct Official classes. I'll abbreviate "Quick Guide" as "QG". Many of the comments are just editorial. I hope these can be addressed in future editions. To be able to handle the 5/8/12 election, I would like answers soon for those items flagged with ???????. The comments flagged with $$$$$$$ are non-editorial comments and might be of interest when teaching future classes. Primary Election Manual & Workbook ======= ======== ====== = ======== Page 4: In the first box, "rights" should be "right". Page 15: In Section B, replace "handwritten V" with "large printed V". This is also in the Registration Table QG. Page 15: In Section C, replace "moved before the date "with "moved on or before the date". This is also in the Registration Table QG. Page 17: In bottom YES block, replace "style." with "style(s)." This is also in the Registration Table QG. Page 20: In the "V" ATV image, shouldn't the barcode row be blank? ??????? Otherwise the Registration Table official would have to mark each ballot style with an X, as is done with the "Address Is Different" case on Page 19. (Note that in the "V" case on page 8 of the Help Table class "Exercise and Training" handout, that row is blank.) On the other hand, if the current manual image is correct, then some text needs to be added to the manual to say all ballot styles must be marked out. Page 21: The bottom image needs to have a X over the barcode. Page 22: Questions 3 and 5: The ATV says a "Valid Photo ID" is an ??????? acceptable identification. The answer to question 2 indicates that "Any photo ID" is not good enough. The answer to question 5 says a college ID badge is good enough. In previous classes we were told any photo ID was OK. I'm now confused. What does "Valid photo ID" mean? Page 26: Under Multiple Ballot Styles, who is responsible for making ??????? sure there is a voter signature and official's initials? The first official or both? I vote for both, especially now that the data can be on either side of the white ATV and the signature must be in two places on the yellow ATV. The first official could just call out the data while checking and the second official could verify their presence. This would also affect the Ballot Table QG. Page 28: I found you had to hold the scanner fairly steady over the $$$$$$$ barcode rather than swiping over it. Also, distance seemed to be important. Page 30: Question 4: Answer c seems to be just as invalid. Why would it be valid to misnumber the ATVs? On the other hand, for answer d maybe the Ballot Table official just hasn't had a chance yet to do the renumbering that Page 26 specifies. For example, a group of three voters came in and turned in ATVs (which were then numbered); other voters followed them and got ATVs (which were then numbered); then the three mind-changers came back and returned their ballots. At that point the ATV numbers would be off until the page 26 renumbering procedure was done. The ATV number and tabulator counter would not match for a valid reason; eventually this would be fixed via the page 26 procedure. Page 33: As you know, I say the Affidavit form should have a way to $$$$$$$ prompt a UNA voter to specify the ballot choice for a primary election. I'm glad the procedure in the manual now tells the curbside official to ask and then write down the choice somewhere on the form. Hopefully the official will remember to do this. Page 34: Step 11: For a non-perfect scenario, the official's initials might go elsewhere than section A on the white ATV. They might even have to be on a yellow ATV. We have had some of those curbside cases. Probably you can just replace "in Section A of" with "on". Page 34: As previously documented, I think the ATV should be checked by $$$$$$$ the Ballot Table official(s) or Judge before the ballot is put into the scanner, just to be sure all the signatures and initials are in place. Page 37: I have heard that there will be more documentation before the $$$$$$$ election about rules for observers and runners. I certainly hope so and that it is quickly posted on the website. The current manual page raises many questions that I have asked before and won't repeat here. Page 44: I am now left in a quandary about what to do with the laptop ??????? after I pick it up Monday night on the way to setup. The manual says I cannot take it to the setup meeting, but we have been told repeatedly not to leave such items locked in our cars. What are we supposed to do? Page 45: The lines starting with the "Place the AutoMARK:" line and ending with the "in plain view of the officials." line need some editing. It looks like some indenting/bulleting got lost. Also, what may have started out as just text for the AutoMARK now tries to also cover voting booths and the M100. As it stands, the "it" in the second bullet says people might mistake the M100 (or a voting booth) for an M100. Page 50: Per what Gary said at the 3/23/12 class, we will count the $$$$$$$ ballots when we open each "100" package, as we have been doing for years for good reason. We will also count the contents of the smaller packets when we set up the new BMS box Tuesday morning to verify the BOE counts for those packets. Page 50: Since the late absentee list will be posted on the website $$$$$$$ Monday night (presumably by precinct), I will probably print the list and mark the poll books at that time; the list for our precinct should be small. That will make it easier when the BOE call comes to our precinct Tuesday morning. Then I'll have the Registration Table officials double check the poll book marking against the phoned data and my printed list. Page 53: At the top have a new major bullet: "Remove the scratch pad $$$$$$$ sheet that was taped over the M100 tape. This would also affect the 7:30 p.m. Closing the Polls Checklist. Page 53: Make the "Turn the red key" sub-bullet a major bullet. It should not be a sub-bullet under the "RESULTS REPORT" third copy section. This would also affect the 7:30 p.m. Closing the Polls Checklist. Page 57: I'm concerned about moving the "BLUE PLASTIC BAG" section to this earlier position. This might encourage people to try to complete that section before finishing with the steel bin and AutoMARK, each of which needs the keys. At least the blue bag label and the reconciliation sheet now each have a warning about the keys. To emphasize this, I intend to color highlight the warnings on each of those forms when I go thru the supplies on Saturday. Page 59: Will the gray supply bin have locking ties this year, now that ??????? more material is being put in it, e.g., the poll books? I know one year there were such ties. Then there were not. If there will be ties again, they should be mentioned because it's another case where people might jump the gun and lock/seal the bin before all the required contents are in place. Page 61: I suggest adding "seal it" to Question 4 to drive home the point that you do the same thing to an empty red plastic bag that you do to one with envelopes inside. Page 65: I really like seeing the full-size ATV forms at the back of the manual. They're easy to find and easy to read. Back cover: I think I completed the Election Puzzle except for having a question about 21 down. It appears that either there is one block too few for the answer or else the question needs some additional words to change the answer from a noun to a verb. (Or else I have the wrong answer.) The font used for the manual made "fi"s look strange, e.g., in unaffiliated. I wish all documents had a version date on them, especially the QGs since we will get another set of QGs at the election and cannot easily see if they have changed from the versions given out at the classes. Help Table Procedures ==== ===== ========== Page 2: Prefix phone number with "(919)". Also in Help Table QG. Page 9: As you know, the yellow ATV does not match the white ATV in $$$$$$$ the "If primary, select one" area. The white ATV is correct. When they next print yellow ATVs, they should fix this. Page 14: Several primary elections ago, the Provisional Envelope had a ??????? yellow box where a UNA voter could mark the desired party. (I have a copy of the envelope from around 2008.) That box is missing from the class handouts we were given on 3/23/12. Is that box no longer on primary election Provisional Envelopes? (Note that I am not talking about the data in the gray, BOE-only area.) If that yellow box is no longer present on the envelopes we will use in May, the Help table officials will need to ask the UNA voters what is desired. I guess the recorded "issued ballot style" fields will then record this adequately for the BOE. Page 17: The Laptop QG lists a case not listed here: "Voter disputes the registered party affiliation." That does seem to be a valid use of Street Search to look up a ballot style for the ballot to be used provisionally. Page 22: The overlays at the bottom of the Street Search results $$$$$$$ graphic hides most of the UNA rows, but leaves enough for my point to be made. For each of the other rows, e.g., DEM 18+, the ballot type, "D01" in this case, is clear -- there is no choice. However, one could accidentally read the UNA rows the same way and think that those voters must use only the non-partisan ballot styles shown at the end of those rows. That of course is not the case. Help Table people must be warned not to fall into that trap and neglect to ask the UNA voter what ballot type is desired, not think that only "N" types are appropriate for that voter because of what the screen format might imply. Incidentally, the example shows "N13" for the LIB rows. I assume that is because there was no Libertarian party race, so the only things left for Libertarians to vote on would be the non-partisan races; thus an "N" ballot would match their requirements. They would be forced to use the "N" ballots -- no choice. This is in contrast to the UNA voters who could chose "N" ballots, as shown in their rows, or could chose the ballot of one of the parties. There appear to be some subtleties with interpreting the Street Search results screen that I have never seen documented or heard discussed in any classes. Jeff Knauth