/ Election Officer Training

Slides Summary

001. INTRO: November 2020

Welcome to the Non-Routine Specialist online training class!

This class will go over the role and duties of the Non-Routine Specialist.

002. OVERVIEW: Intro

First, we will provide an overview of this class.

003. OVERVIEW: Overview

Review all information in these slides and notes at your own pace.

At the end, you must complete a quiz to receive credit for the class.

Class Topics:

  • When to Direct a Voter to the Chief
  • Acceptable IDs & Check-In
  • Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Boxes
  • Absentee Voters
  • Voters Needing Assistance
  • ExpressVote
  • Curbside Voters
  • Provisional Voters

004. OVERVIEW: Role of Non-Routine Specialist

What is your role as the Non-Routine Specialist?

The Non-Routine Specialist will assist the Chief Officer and Assistant Chief Officer with non-routine voters. The Non-Routine Specialist is not a manager and this individual does not supervise or direct Election Officers, they do not make any decisions concerning provisional voters, and they do not take the place of the Chief Officer or Assistant Chief Officer at any time or in any way.

005. OVERVIEW: Role of Non-Routine Specialist (Continued)

Let’s go over some examples of the work that can be performed by the Non-Routine Specialist:

  • Help Pollbook Officers determine when a voter should be directed to the Chief or Assistant Chief for further assistance.
  • Assist Election Officers with any questions about the new ID requirements.
  • Help monitor the new Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box in each precinct.
  • Help Election Officers process individuals who return their absentee ballot and wish to vote in the regular manner.
  • Assist voters after completing the Request for Assistance form.
  • Help voters who use the ExpressVote accessible voting machine.
  • Assist with curbside voting.
  • Help voters complete provisional ballot envelopes and related materials (only after the Chief has determined a voter should be issued a provisional ballot).

006. WHEN TO DIRECT VOTERS TO THE CHIEF: Intro

You may be asked to help other officers determine when it is appropriate to send a voter to the Chief.

007. WHEN TO DIRECT VOTERS TO THE CHIEF: Help Officers Determine When a Voter Should be Referred to the Chief

If designated to do so by the Chief, you should be prepared to monitor Pollbook Officers and help them determine when a voter should be referred to the Chief.

You should review the section of the Polling Place Manual on non-routine voters and provisional ballots to understand which situations require a voter to be referred to the Chief and which situations you may assist with.

NOTE: As the Non-Routine Specialist, you will NOT make any decisions about issuing provisional ballots to voters, moving conditions, or related matters.

008. WHEN TO DIRECT VOTERS TO THE CHIEF: Voter Referral Worksheet

When a Pollbook Officer notices they have a non-routine voter, they should complete the yellow Voter Referral Worksheet.

You’ll notice that the reasons for referral on the left correspond with different What-If reference numbers on the right. The Chief will use this information to look in the What-Ifs to find out how to handle any situation.

009. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: Intro

Let’s review which IDs are acceptable for voting.

010. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: Assist With Questions About New IDs

You should assist other election officers who have questions about the new ID requirements.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation impacting the requirements for Voter IDs at polling places that took effect on July 1, 2020. If designated by the Chief to do so, the Non-Routine Specialist should be prepared to monitor Pollbook Officers and assist them with any questions about the new ID requirements.

On Election Day, Pollbook Officers will have a one-page list of all acceptable IDs that they can check at any time. All IDs that were previously acceptable can still be accepted.

011. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: Acceptable IDs

There are many IDs that are still acceptable for voting purposes:

  • A Virginia driver’s license.
  • A United States passport.
  • An employer ID, which must have a photo.
  • A Virginia voter ID card.
  • A Virginia high school ID card.
  • Or, other IDs issued by the federal government, the state of Virginia government, or local Virginia government.

In addition to these IDs, there are new items that may now be used to vote:

  • A voter confirmation document (e.g. Official Voter Registration Notice postcard).
  • A college/university ID, as long they have a campus anywhere in the United States.
  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document containing the name and address of the voter. (“Current” is defined as within the last 12 months.)

012. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: Which IDs are Not Accepted?

There are also many IDs that you cannot accept for voting.

  • A Virginia driver’s license is OK, but an out-of-state driver’s license is not.
  • A US passport is OK, but a foreign passport is not.
  • An ID from a person’s employer is OK. But other non-government and non-school IDs, such as a credit card or Costco membership card, are not OK.

013. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: Digital Copies of Some IDs

Digital copies of some IDs are now acceptable: a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with the voter’s name and address.

Voters who choose to show the Pollbook Officer a digital copy of an acceptable ID will need to either:

Pass their phone or electronic device to the Pollbook Officer using the box lid that is used to pass IDs –OR–

Hold their electronic device up against the acrylic sneeze guard so that the Pollbook Officer may see the digital ID.

014. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: What if the Voter has No Acceptable ID?

WHAT IF THE VOTER HAS NO ACCEPTABLE ID?

Option 1: The voter can sign an ID Confirmation Statement and vote normally.

Option 2: The voter can cast a Provisional Ballot.

Option 3: The voter can leave the polling place and return with a valid ID.

Important Notes:

  • Previously, all IDs required a photo. Now, the only ID that explicitly requires a photo is an employer ID.
  • NEVER ask a voter to remove their face mask or religious face covering to verify their identity.

015. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: ID Confirmation Statement

This is an example of the ID Confirmation statement. As you can see, it’s a quick form to fill out!

First, the Chief or Non-Routine Specialist fills in the precinct number and name, the date, and their initials.

Next, give the form to the voter, who signs and prints their name and writes the date. They may also add their birth year and last 4 digits of their social security number.

Lastly, check in the voter on the Poll Pad and select the “Voter Signed Oath” flag.

In following this procedure, a voter would be allowed to vote normally. That means you would issue them a regular ballot, they would mark it at the polling place, and they would deposit it in a DS200 ballot scanner.

016. ACCEPTABLE IDS & CHECK-IN PROCESS: Assist With New Check-In Process

As they have in the past, the Pollbook Officer will ask each voter:

” What is your full legal name and current residential address?”

However, after the Pollbook Officer determines that the voter is qualified, they will only repeat the voter’s name. The Pollbook Officer will not repeat the voter’s address.

Again, the Pollbook Officer only repeats the voter’s name.

If designated to do so by the Chief, you will help monitor Pollbook Officers to make sure that they are only repeating the voter’s name and that they are not repeating the voter’s address.

017. ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP-OFF BOX: Intro

Each precinct will have an Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box. This is something new for this election!

018. ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP-OFF BOX: Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box

If designated to do so by the Chief, you should be prepared to help monitor the Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box.

Each polling place will receive one Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box that will be packed in a cardboard box. This Drop-Off Box will be used by voters who wish to deposit their completed absentee ballot envelopes.

Voters from anywhere in Fairfax County can return completed absentee ballot envelopes in a Drop-Off Box at any polling place.

019. ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP-OFF BOX: Assembly Instructions

You will receive written assembly instructions with the Drop-Off Box.

You should help assemble your Drop-Off Box before Election Day when you help your Chief set up the voting room.

After assembling the Drop-Off Box, lock the compartment at the lower back of the Drop-Off Box.

020. ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP-OFF BOX: Location, Hours, and Security

Let’s go over the Drop-Off Box in more detail.

Location of the Drop-Off Box: You should locate the Drop-Off Box outside of your voting room, away from the line of voters, near the entrance to the voting room in an area that is visible to voters.

Hours of Operation: The Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box must be set up by 6:00 a.m. and available for voters between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Any voters in line at the Drop-Off Box at 7:00 p.m. must also be permitted to place their voted absentee ballots in the Drop-Off Box.

Security: The Chief will designate an Election Officer to monitor the Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Another officer may relieve the officer who is monitoring the Drop-Off Box, but you must ensure that the first officer does not leave until their replacement arrives, so the Drop-Off Box is never unattended.

Curbside Voters: Curbside voters may return voted absentee ballot envelopes. The two officers who assist the curbside voter will place the absentee ballot envelope in a green folder, take it inside, and deposit the voted absentee ballot envelope in the Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box.

021. ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP-OFF BOX: Important Notes

Important Note:

Voters will not be required to provide identification or identify themselves when they place a voted absentee ballot envelope in the Drop-Off Box.

Number of Ballot Envelopes that Voters Can Insert in the Drop-Off Box:

Voters are permitted to place more than one voted absentee ballot envelope in the Drop-Off Box.

Check the Drop-Off Box Several Times During the Day:

Two Officers, identified by our office before election day and designated as the Absentee Ballot Collectors in your precinct, will need to open the Drop-Off Box and determine if it is full several times during the Election Day. If the Drop-Off Box is full, they will remove and count the voted absentee ballot envelopes and seal them in a white box. They will then place seals on the white box with the name of the precinct, the date, and their signatures. They will also record the number of ballots contained in the white box.

022. ABSENTEE VOTERS: Intro

You may have some absentee voters who come to your precinct on Election Day.

023. ABSENTEE VOTERS: Help Officers Process Absentee Voters

If designated to do so by the Chief, you should be prepared to assist absentee voters who come to the polling place on Election Day. There are three potential scenarios involving voters who requested an absentee ballot but come to the polling place on Election Day:

1. Voters who bring their completed absentee ballot and want to deposit it in the Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box.

We have already gone over this situation.

2. Voters who have their absentee ballot and want to vote in-person.

We will go over this situation next.

3. Voters who do not have their absentee ballot but want to vote in-person.

We will also go over this situation next.

024. ABSENTEE VOTERS: Absentee Voter Wants to Vote In-Person

What if a voter requested a mailed absentee ballot, but then comes to the polling place and wants to vote in-person?

First, let’s look at the steps if the voter comes to the polling place WITH their absentee ballot.

  • First, the voter should surrender their ballot to you. If it is still sealed in the envelope, ask them to open the envelope to verify the ballot is present. If the voter has made selections in any contest, ask them to fill in all bubbles for those contests, so no one knows who they intended to vote for.
  • Next, you must write “absentee spoiled” across the face of the ballot. Place this ballot in envelope #4 with other spoiled and voided ballots.
  • Now you may check-in the voter on the Poll Pad and allow them to vote a regular ballot.

Now let’s look at the steps if the voter comes to the polling place WITHOUT their absentee ballot.

  • This one is very straightforward: the Chief will simply offer the voter a provisional ballot.
  • Staff will verify that the voter did not already vote an absentee ballot in-person or by mail.

025. REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Intro

As the Non-Routine Specialist, you may be asked to assist voters and complete the Request For Assistance form.

026. REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Assist Voters After Completing the Request for Assistance Form

Some voters require assistance in the voting booth and may ask for help from an Election Officer.

If designated by the Chief or Assistant Chief, you should be prepared to assist voters (only after completing a Request for Assistance form).

Be prepared to maintain social distancing while providing this assistance.

027. REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Voter Needs Assistance

  • A voter may have someone assist them in the voting booth with reading, translating, or marking the ballot.
  • Almost anyone may assist a voter, including a friend, family member, or an election officer. There are only 4 people who may not assist a voter: a candidate, a poll watcher, the voter’s boss, or the voter’s union representative.
  • Before a voter is assisted, the voter and their assistant must both sign the Request for Assistance form.
  • There is one exception: if the assistant chosen by the voter is age 15 or younger, such as their child, neither the voter nor the assistant is required to complete the form.

How do you process an assisted voter?

  • The voter and their assistant must complete the Request for Assistance form.
  • On the Poll Pad, select the Assisted flag.

028. REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Request for Assistance Form

This is an example of a Request for Assistance form, which you will use for voters needing assistance.

In total, 3 people must mark this form:

  • An election officer should write the precinct name and date at the top of the form.
  • The voter must sign and print their name in Section A.
  • The assistant must sign and print their name and address in Section B.

029. EXPRESSVOTE: Intro

Next, let’s go over the ExpressVote accessible marking device.

030. EXPRESSVOTE: Help Voters Use the ExpressVote

If designated to do so by the Chief, you should be prepared to help voters use the ExpressVote accessible voting machine. Make sure that you are familiar with the ExpressVote and that you are prepared to assist voters.

031. EXPRESSVOTE: ExpressVote Video

Before election day, watch this 3-minute video to understand how a voter can use an ExpressVote: https://youtu.be/4NNn7NcpaOU

We will provide a summary of the video on the next slide.

032. EXPRESSVOTE: How to Use the ExpressVote

STEP 1 : Insert a blank ballot card into the ExpressVote. Align the corner-cut on the card with the corner-cut on the machine.

STEP 2 : Make selections. The voter selects a candidate or option for each contest. Press the “Next” button to go to the next contest. To enter a write-in candidate, press the “Write-In” button to reveal a keyboard. If you have visual limitations, you can press the “Contrast” button to change the screen to high-contrast black-and-white. Press the “Zoom” button to make the ballot appear larger on the screen. You can also display the ballot in different languages or use a physical keypad to make selections.

STEP 3 : Review selections. After you have made your selections, you can review them before printing your ballot card. You can make changes if needed.

STEP 4 : Print marked ballot. Press the “Print Card” button and your printed card will be returned to you.

STEP 5 : Scan ballot. Insert your marked ballot card in the DS200 scanner to have your ballot counted.

033. CURBSIDE VOTERS: Intro

If designated to do so by the Chief, the Non-Routine Specialist will assist with curbside voting. Let’s go over some information you will need to know.

034. CURBSIDE VOTERS: Curbside Voters

Some voters may choose to vote curbside. They can pull into a designated curbside voter parking spot and call the phone number you have put on the curbside voting sign.

  • Voters who are disabled or age 65 or older may request to vote outside the polls. You should not ask for additional proof if someone asks to vote curbside.
  • The Request for Assistance form is NOT required for curbside voters. However, you may want to take this form with you when helping curbside voters in case they have someone in their vehicle who will be assisting them.
  • In November elections, you may have high school pages assigned to your precinct. They may accompany you, but they may not directly help curbside voters.

How do you process a curbside voter?

  • TWO officers should go outside to get the voter’s ID, then return inside to check-in the voter. (Do not bring the Poll Pad outside.)
  • TWO officers should go outside with a ballot and stay until the voter completes it, then return inside to cast the ballot. (Ask the voter to wait to get confirmation their ballot was successfully cast.)
  • An officer goes outside to inform voter their ballot has been successfully cast. (If the DS200 scanner did not accept the ballot, you would spoil the ballot and issue the voter a new ballot.)

Remember that you must always wait with the voter until they finish marking their ballot. If you do not stay, the voter could leave or give their ballot to an outside campaigner – don’t let that happen!

035. CURBSIDE VOTERS: Curbside During COVID-19

  • Do not question any voter’s right to vote curbside.
  • Ask the voter to only partially roll down their window.
  • Approach the voter from the passenger side door of their car to maintain social distancing.
  • Handle only one voter at a time and follow our normal curbside procedures.
  • All curbside voters will be given their ballot in a single-use privacy folder.
  • All curbside voters will be given a single-use pen that they will keep.

036. CURBSIDE VOTERS: Curbside Sign

You should help the Chief and Assistant Chief ensure that the yellow A-frame Curbside Voting sign is posted in a spot that is visible for voters approaching the curb.

You should also help ensure that the phone number posted on the sign is correct and that the phone used to receive calls from curbside voters has good reception in the voting room.

(If your polling place has public Wi-Fi, you should enable “Wi-Fi calling” on the phone used to receive calls from curbside voters for improved reception and call quality.)

037. CURBSIDE VOTERS: Important Notes

You should be familiar with the curbside voting process and should be prepared to answer questions from voters or Election Officers about the process.

If asked by your Chief, you should help ensure that two Officers, representing different political parties if possible, assist each curbside voter.

Some curbside voters may simply want to drop-off their completed absentee ballot. You should help ensure that two Election Officers accept any voted absentee ballots that are returned by curbside voters, and that the two Officers deposit those voted absentee ballots directly in the Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Box.

You should also help the Chief and Assistant Chief ensure that two Election Officers are stationed curbside at 7:00 p.m. and that any voter who is present curbside at 7:00 p.m. has the opportunity to vote.

038. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: Intro

We will now go over provisional ballots and how you may help the Chief with some limited parts of the provisional process.

039. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: Help Voters Complete Provisional Ballot Envelopes

If designated to do so by the Chief, you should be prepared to help voters complete provisional ballot envelopes.

To be clear, the Chief or Assistant Chief will always determine IF a voter should be issued a provisional ballot.

After the Chief or Assistant Chief has determined a voter should complete a provisional ballot, you may assist the voter in completing the provisional ballot envelope.

040. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: The 2 Kinds of Provisional Ballots

There are 2 kinds of provisional ballots. They both use slightly different shades of green.

  • If a voter has no ID, you will use the lime green envelope on the left.
  • For registration, absentee, and other issues, you will use the regular green envelope on the right.

Generally speaking, only about 15% of provisional voters are because they do not have their ID, while 85% are for other issues. So for the most part, you will be using the regular green envelope.

041. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: (1) Processing No ID Provisional

Let’s continue the example with a voter with no acceptable ID.

  • Because this is a no-ID provisional situation, you will use the lime green envelope.
  • The Chief or their designee who is helping the provisional voter completes 3 fields: the precinct number and name in the top right and their signature and today’s date towards the bottom.
  • The voter completes all other fields, including their name, address, and date of birth. And don’t forget the most important thing - check to make sure the voter signed the envelope!

Do not mark or write anything on the back of the no-ID provisional envelope. That space is for the Electoral Board.

042. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: (2) Processing Regular Provisional

Let’s continue the example with a voter who is already marked as having voted.

  • Because this is NOT a no-ID provisional situation, you will use the regular green envelope.
  • Here, the voter and Chief (or their designee) again complete the front of the envelope, including signatures from each person.
  • In this situation, the Chief or their designee must also complete the back of the envelope - select a checkbox and write notes!
  • Here, we have selected reason code #4 (voter applied for an absentee ballot but does not have the ballot) and wrote some notes at the top of the envelope to explain that the voter says they never received their absentee ballot.

Remember, any notes should be written or attached to the outside of the envelope, so the Electoral Board can review them before they make their decision.

043. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: Provisional Forms

This is a sample of the Provisional Notice and the Provisional Ballots Log.

The Chief will issue each provisional voter a copy of the Provisional Notice , which tells them more about how and when their provisional ballot will be adjudicated.

The Chief will also complete the Provisional Ballots Log after each provisional voter. The Chief must copy some basic information from the individual provisional envelope completed by each provisional voter.

044. PROVISIONAL VOTERS: Do Not

This is a reminder that you should NEVER check-in provisional voters on your Poll Pad.

In addition, do NOT let voters cast provisional ballots on the DS200 scanner. It’s very important to help provisional voters at a separate table, far away from the regular voting booths or the DS200 scanner. Once the Chief has issued a ballot to a provisional voter, you should stay with them until they return it to the Chief.

045. CONCLUSION: Intro

We are almost done with this training!

046. CONCLUSION: Final Reminders

Thank you for serving as a Non-Routine Specialist!

As you have learned, there are many things you can help with and you will be a valued resource to your Chief and Assistant Chief on election day.

However, please remember that you are not a manager, you do not supervise or direct Election Officers, you do not make any decisions concerning provisional voters, and you do not take the place of the Chief Officer or Assistant Chief Officer at any time or in any way.

If you have any questions, ask your Chief or contact the main office.

047. CONCLUSION: Quiz

Congratulations! You have now completed this online class.

To receive credit for this class, you must still take and pass the quiz. You can find the quiz in the Election Officer Portal. Go to the Training tab, scroll down, and look in the bottom-right for a link labeled “Quiz”. If you do not pass the quiz the first time, you can take it again until you pass. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to call or email us.

This class is now complete. Thank you and have a great election day!