TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS FROM THE JANUARY SURVEY TRUE OR FALSE: Inspectors’ initials go in the signature (poll) book.

It’s TRUE. Almost nobody got this one wrong.

TRUE or FALSE Affidavit voters do not use the voting machine.

That’s TRUE. Almost nobody got this one wrong. Affidavit ballots should never even be NEAR the machine.

TRUE or FALSE Cancelled ballots and unscanned emergency ballots are the same thing.

This one is FALSE. Again. Almost no one got it wrong…almost. Everyone should know that cancelled ballots are spoiled, unusable ballots, and they go into the black bag. Unscanned emergency ballots are still good ballots that need to be tallied by the BOE. (Red Bag)

TRUE or FALSE I check off voters as they come in, on the active sheet.

This is TRUE. Everyone got this one right!

TRUE or FALSE Emergency ballots are spoiled ballots.

FALSE This is essentially the same question as “Cancelled ballots and emergency ballots are the same thing.” But a few more people got this one wrong; about 8% did. It’s important to understand that “cancelled” and “emergency” are not the same thing…not at all.

TRUE or FALSE We must fill out a ballot custody (sheriff’s) sheet.

This is TRUE. 12% got this wrong. We cannot stress enough how important this is. Many teams of Inspectors failed to do it for the 2012 General Election.

TRUE or FALSE After 9:00 p.m., I first remove the memory card.

FALSE This was a little tricky. Removing the memory card is one of the last things you do after polls are closed and the machine is turned off. The first thing done is the tip-out procedure. 20% missed this one.

TRUE or FALSE The active sheet and the signature book are the same thing.

It’s FALSE. The active sheet is the first sheet checked off as voters check in to the poll site. The signature (poll) book is where they sign their names. 20% missed this one.

TRUE or FALSE One Inspector may assist a voter.

This is FALSE. When a voter needs assistance, TWO Inspectors (one Democrat and one Republican) must assist. 20 % missed this.

TRUE or FALSE ALL ballots get physically counted by hand at night.

The answer is…FALSE. It said “ALL ballots…”. Some ballots are hand counted, such as write-ins, affidavit ballots, unscanned emergency ballots and cancelled ballots. But not ALL ballots are hand counted. The regular ballots in the large pile in the machine are NOT hand counted. (That would be a huge task!) 24% got this wrong.

TRUE or FALSE I can refuse to give an affidavit ballot.

FALSE Never refuse a voter an affidavit ballot. There is never a good reason. Even in a situation where the voter gets challenged because someone thinks they do not live in the district. Affidavits are a catch-all way of diffusing any problems too. 28% missed this one.

TRUE or FALSE Don’t allow the press inside.

FALSE Always allow the press access to the poll site. It is a public area. They have to obey the rules though. Access must be reasonable. 36% got this one wrong.

TRUE or FALSE The BOE wants to know when a voter signs in but doesn’t vote.

TRUE! We really want to know. If we do not know, it will throw off our ballot accounting after an election. 40% missed it.

TRUE or FALSE Write-in ballots get scanned after 9:00 p.m.

FALSE 44% missed this one, and that is a little alarming. Write-in ballots have already been scanned. If you scan them again it will really mess up the election.

TRUE or FALSE Voters with a Court Order use an affidavit ballot.

This is FALSE. Many missed this one…56% did. It’s a difficult question. And Court Orders almost never happen. But it’s important to know that voters with such Orders do indeed get to vote on the machine like any other voter.

TRUE or FALSE Any voter may use the BMD.

TRUE! Most missed this one…64%. Again, it hardly ever happens, but some voters want to use the BMD just for the heck of it…or to see how it works. You must allow anyone to use it; as long as they are allowed to use the machine. (Perhaps this is why so many missed this one…because we didn’t qualify that it’s any voter “otherwise allowed to vote on the machine.” If so…sorry.)

We thank you very much for participating in the survey. Your input helped guide us in how training will go this year. We very much appreciate all you do for Steuben County and The Board of Elections.