* *** COMMENTS_2014-08-27_HELP_TABLE_MANUAL TXT - 27 Aug 2014  19:46:32 - JKNAUTH

The new Help Table Manual is well organized.  I like it.

Cover     Drafts should have a revision date on the cover.

Page  4:  Many years ago I had created the original Wildcard Character
          chart.  (See http://jgkhome.name/WakeBOE/wildcard-2008.htm.)
          Back then it had another section which showed the example
          database used in the search.  That database included
          birthdates and gave the "va% and DOB 04011977 finds" block
          some context.  The database had some "va..." entries with
          birthdates other than 4/1/1977 and had some 4/1/1977 entries
          with names not matching the va% search criterion.  The example
          showed that only va% people born on 4/1/1977 would be
          displayed.  It's good to have an example using DOB since that
          is such a good way to narrow things down if spelling is a
          problem.

          Maybe you can add a note beside that block saying something
          like "This shows you can use the Name Search DOB field to
          further restrict the results to only those people born on the
          DOB date and whose name meets the other spelling criterion,
          starting with "va" in this example."

Page  5:  On several later pages you say the "address is the same" and
          the "moved after 10/5/2014" processing is the same.  There is
          a slight difference in the current flowchart in that the
          precinct number is gotten from Section A in one case and from
          the laptop in the other.  (In the May/July 2014 flowcharts, in
          both cases the number was gotten from Section A.) Unless there
          is a laptop database/ATV printing bug, both sources should
          have the same precinct number for this voter, the precinct in
          which the voter is registered.  Am I missing something?

          If the intent is to make the processing identical instead of
          almost identical (seems worthwhile), my preference would be to
          use the laptop to get all the data, both precinct number and
          ballot style.  Then if the official sees that the precinct
          shown in the laptop is not their own precinct (a number they
          should well know and which should be what is in Section A),
          something is seriously wrong and they should call the Help
          Line.  In fact, they may be looking at the wrong person in the
          laptop.  The laptop and ATV should always match.

          Note that page 6 ("same address" processing) says both
          precinct number and ballot style come from the laptop.  Then
          page 9 in the note at the bottom says there is no example for
          the "moved after 10/5/14" scenario since it is the same as the
          "same address" processing.  So the text says in both cases
          that the precinct number comes from the laptop.  It is just
          the flowchart that is out of sync with the text.

Page 12:  In the first paragraph for the exercise shouldn't you specify
          the number of the processing precinct, e.g., "Damien arrives
          at Garner *Precinct 16-06*...".  One of the required checks is
          that the precinct numbers listed in Sections B and C must be
          checked to ensure they match the number of the precinct that
          is processing this incoming transfer ATV.  In the exercise,
          there is no specified number to check against.  In the other
          exercises you do specify the number of the processing precinct
          (in *bold face* type, although inconsistent about putting
          "Precinct" in bold face).

Page 13:  Item 2 at the bottom:  Looks like some text was dropped.
          Maybe it should say, "of the party for which they believe they
          are registered."

Page 15:  Answer 4:  Earlier in the manual (page 11) you also say to
          call the Help Line if the ballot style written on the ATV by
          the transfer-out official does not match what the transfer-in
          official finds on the laptop.  (I'm not sure why that is
          needed *vs.* if the transfer-out official sent the voter to
          the wrong precinct, which would be very bad.  Maybe this is
          just to help the BOE better find mistake-prone officials so
          they can be called immediately and told to be more careful.)
          Anyway, the FAQs should be consistent with other parts of the
          manual.  Page 5 does say do the checks, but does not mention
          making the BOE call.

Page 22:  Answer 5:  This area has changed again.  I hope the classes
          emphasize the current status.  If asked, our response will
          continue to be, "That is above my paygrade.  The BOE will
          decide.  We at the polling place just gather information the
          BOE will need when they make the decision."  And, of course,
          we will try to get the voter to go to the right polling place
          so they won't have to worry about what the BOE does with
          provisional envelopes.

Jeff Knauth