Check-In Steps

Now that you know which IDs are acceptable and how to use a Poll Pad, it’s important to understand the full order of steps to checking in a voter.

• Ask the voter for their ID. Remember, if a voter provides a different valid form of ID, you cannot ask for their driver’s license.
• Find the voter on the Poll Pad. Scan their driver’s license or do a manual search.
• Ask voter to provide name & address. Most voters will provide this information orally, but they also have the option of providing this information in writing or simply pointing to their ID. And remember, you always use the address the voter provided during check-in when looking at the Poll Pad.
• Confirm the name & address match the Poll Pad, then repeat only the name audibly. The Code of Virginia requires us to state this information out loud.
• If the election is a dual-party primary, ask if the voter wants a ballot for the Democratic primary or Republican primary. Never ask a voter if they are a Democrat or Republican! In Virginia, voters do not register by party and are eligible to vote in either party’s primary.
• Finally, check in the voter. Hand them a ballot or a Voter Permit Card. (A Voter Permit Card is exchanged for a ballot at the ballot table.)