Research Project: Voting Process and Procedure by State

Submitted by Roxy on February 8, 2008 - 13:10

originally posted 2008-01-26 08:40:23 -1100 - bumped, cho

We are putting together an overview of the voting processes and procedures by state and are asking for help from the community to complete the information. If you would like to help with this project, please send an email to admin@epluribusmedia.org. If you already know the information for your state -- or other states -- you can leave the information in the comments, or send an email.

Here is the breakdown of the information we are trying to amass:

  • State Name
  • Who regulates voting - State or County?
  • Type Voting (machine)
  • Voter ID Requirements
  • Has a Voter ID law been challenged (Y/N)
  • SOS website info
  • procedures for provisional voting

Thanks in advance for your help!

Voting, Voter rights, state laws, provisional voting
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Comments

Roxy

January 26, 2008 - 15:04

Bulk of the information comes from the State of Hawaii, Office of Elections FactSheets.

  • Who regulates voting - State or County? [still looking for the definitive answer -- looks like State] Registering to vote is easy: all you need to do is complete the Affidavit on Application for Voting (also known as the Wikiwiki Voter Registration form) and submit it to the appropriate City/County Clerk’s office before the Registration Deadlines.
    Primary Registration Deadline: Thursday, August 21, 2008
    General Registration Deadline: Monday, October 6, 2008
  • Type Voting (machine)
    Pursuant to Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Direct Recording Electronic voting machines are available at polling places to:
    · Ensure privacy and independence, and protect the right of voters with disabilities and voters with limited English proficiency.
    · Provide accessibility for individuals with disabilities, including non-visual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.
    · Provide alternative language accessibility pursuant to the requirements of section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a).
  • Voter ID Requirements - Pollworkers may ask for a photo ID with signature, but there is no law in place
  • Has a Voter ID law been challenged (Y/N)-- No
  • SOS website info
  • Provisional voting procedures [HAVA Sec. 302 (a) (1-5)]:
    1. An election official at the polling place shall notify the voter that he or she may cast a provisional ballot in that election.
    2. A voter shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot at the polling place upon execution of a written affirmation (“Affirmation for Provisional Voting” on the Registration Affidavit Form) by the individual before an election official at the polling place, stating that the individual is:
    a. a registered voter in the jurisdiction in which the individual desires to vote;

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carol white

January 26, 2008 - 16:36

I can try to get the info.

In Loudoun we vote on paper ballots which are then scanned.They are pretty easy going at the polling place. I poll watched in 2004 and found no obvious irregularities.

If you explain about SOS I'll get on to it, and let you know what I find.

carol

cho

January 26, 2008 - 16:42

Usually at the state web site, there's some sort of link to the Secretary of State's site -- gives information about registering to vote etc.

carol white

January 26, 2008 - 17:16

I have two roads to the total package which I shall pursue.

carol

standingup

January 26, 2008 - 23:10

is a link to the Virginia Secretary of State.

I'll try to get the info together for MO tomorrow.

luaptifer

January 27, 2008 - 00:26

This is a series of links to a page on the Wyoming Secretary of State's site.

It's intended to provide, in one page, links to every available state's "Corporation" page. As such, then, it's not exactly the information we hope to compile here but my experience is that, once onsite, states usually have links to other SOS functions pretty handy through some sort of navigation menu.

Again, the links are to a page on the Wyoming SOS website where they've compiled links to Corporation pages, if available, for other states.

FWIW: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ

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"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government in a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country." - Thomas Jefferson

rba

January 27, 2008 - 10:38

has a series of interactive maps they are apparently building, including this one on State Chief Election Authorities. Might be worth a contact to at least avoid rampant duplication of effort.

Come to think of it, isn't there an "OhioBureau" around here somewhere? "-)

carol white

January 28, 2008 - 11:52

State Name Virginia
Who regulates voting - State or County? They seem to be selected by County or incorporated cities. Their are 840 of these
Type Voting (machine) all of the following are in use:ACCU-VOTE Premier Election Systems Marksense Tabulator
ACCU-VOTE TSR6 Premier Election Systems DRE
ACCU-VOTE TSX Premier Election Systems DRE
AUTOMARK Election Systems and Software Marksense Voter Assist Terminal
AVC Sequoia Voting Systems DRE
BALLOT NOW Hart Intercivic Marksense Tabulator
EDGE Sequoia Voting Systems DRE
eSLATE Hart Intercivic DRE
INSIGHT Sequoia Voting Systems Marksense Tabulator
iVOTRONIC Election Systems and Software DRE
M100 Election Systems and Software Marksense Tabulator
M650 Election Systems and Software Marksense Tabulator
OPTECH IIIPE Sequoia Voting Systems Marksense Tabulator
PATRIOT Unilect Corporation DRE
PATRIOT MS Unilect Corporation Marksense Tabulator
WINVOTE Advanced Voting Solutions DRE
WINSCAN Advanced Voting Solutions Marksense Tabulator

Voter ID Requirements A person who wishes to vote must provide a valid Social Security number. Here is the quote from the VA State Board of Elections--Note that you must provide your social security number, if any, when applying to register to vote in Virginia. Therefore, if you do not provide your social security number, your application for voter registration will be denied. State and local voting officials will use your social security number as a unique identifier to insure that no person is registered in more than one place.

At the polling place the following are acceptable for indentification: Acceptable forms of identification include the following: Virginia voter identification card, driver's license, Military ID, Fed. State of local gov. issue ID. Employer issued phot ID card, Social Security Card, Virginia voter ID card. If a person does not come with this ID an alternative is provided to sign an affirmation of identity form under oath.

Has a Voter ID law been challenged (Y/N) The present law was affirmed in 2003. There are bills that may come up this session to change things because of immigration furore. I don't believe there is a challenge to this law, but it has not been changed recently. Things are pretty relaxed at the polling places but you need some form of ID.

This may also be of help from the site: To be eligible to register to vote in Virginia a person must:

Be a resident of Virginia (A person who has come to Virginia for temporary purposes and intends to return to another state is not considered a resident for voting purposes)

Be a U. S. Citizen

Be 18 years old (Any person who is 17 years old and will be eighteen years of age at the next general election shall be permitted to register in advance and also vote in any intervening primary or special election)

Does not claim the right to vote in any other State

Not currently declared mentally incompetent by a court of law

If convicted of a felony, your right to vote must have been restpred.

SOS website info This is the site that I found useful. http://www.sbe.state.va.us/cms/Voter_Information/Registering_to_Vote/Voter_ID_Requirements.html
procedures for provisional voting Registration is conducted in advance of the vote and to be assured of being on the roles a person must get a return mail affirmation that they have successfully met requirements and are on the rolls.

carol

cho

February 8, 2008 - 13:42

  • State regulates elections
  • Optical Scanners. Accu-vote OS2000 by Diebold.

    Precinct Optical Scan Systems

    In a precinct optical scan system, the voter marks a paper ballot, either with a pen or with the assistance of a computerized ballot marking device. The voter then inserts the marked ballot into a scanner, which reads the ballot and displays it to the voter for verification. It also warns the voter of overvotes and undervotes for any office. If any problems are detected, the voter has the option of requesting a new ballot and starting over. After the polls close, the ballots are optically counted, either at the precinct level or centrally. In case of a recount, the ballots can be rescanned by the same or different scanner, or they can be counted by hand.

  • SOS website: Connecticut Secretary of State

An audit was performed by the State and University of Connecticut Voter Center on the performance of the optical voting machines in the November 2007 elections. Independent Audit
Additional information is the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the state for vendors bidding on the electronic voting machines RFP pdf file

Christine Stuart at CTNewsJunkie filed this report in January: Voting Machine Road Show and CTBob is responsible for uncovering the type of machine actually used.

Will update information with VOter ID and provisional ballot policies as I dig up more.

rba

February 8, 2008 - 13:48

VerifiedVoting.org

rba

February 8, 2008 - 13:55

League of Women Voters: Vote411.org

Trying to understand what specific information you feel is not already compiled and available.

cho

February 8, 2008 - 14:58

I think also the specific makes of machines and if the Voter ID laws had been challenged. For example, the League of Women's Voters site is wonderful, but it doesn't specify the exact brand of optical scanner. There are some details missing as well... for example, I believe but I need to run this down, in CT the driver's license doesn't have to be "active" just have a photo and match up address wise with other data.

I do know that there is a lot of interest in the Voter ID challenges --- such as in Georgia, Texas, etc.