IMPLEMENTING VOTING TABULATION DISTRICTS State Board of Elections Annual Training March 19-20, 2008 VTD Transition Committee: Rosemary Blizzard, Karen Brinson, Laura Dell, Sallie Diener, Brooks Garrett-Jones, & Amanda Penny

Topic Outline VTD: Background & Overview Transition Process: Changes to SEIMS Reporting Process: Changes to Voting System Precinct Changes & Procedures Wrap-up

VTD: Background & Overview

What is a VTD? Session Law established Voting Tabulation Districts (VTDs) Consistent geography for the next redistricting/2010 census Based on precincts lines of January 1, 2008 Lines are frozen; all future election results must be reported by VTD

Precincts to VTDs Sample County, NC: December 31, official precincts Precinct 1 Precinct 3 Precinct 4Precinct 2

Precincts to VTDs Sample County, NC: January 1, 2008 Precincts lines used to designate VTD 4 official Voting Tabulation Districts VTD 1 VTD 3 VTD 4VTD 2

Results of Change Consistent geography for apples-to- apples demographic comparisons over time Integrates elections & voter information with census geography VTD boundaries = tabulation block boundaries

Results of Change Opportunity to improve the voting process Precinct lines can be moved without being bound to census block lines; no census redistricting process Option to alter precinct lines may eliminate the scenario of a voter driving past one polling place to get to their polling place Option to alter precinct lines should help reduce over-capacity polling places

Transition Process: Changes to SEIMS

Geocode Changes SBE modifications to SEIMS Geocode Update released weekend of February 2 VTD data stored as another jurisdiction field Automatically populated with official SEIMS precinct name/code “Pseudo” precincts (two-polling places): official precinct code now VTD

Geocode Changes Reviewing accuracy SBE working with Legislative Services to “clean up” the tabulation district lines before submitting final maps to Census Counties will be asked this summer to submit a GIS map file of current precincts Discrepancies resolved in 2005 during Precinct Cleanup Project 1999 Precinct Redistricting maps and 2000 Census maps are deciding factors for accuracy of boundary lines

Changes to SEIMS Reports VTD added to all poll book reports (2/19/08)

Changes to SEIMS Reports Exports, for use with ATVs, have also been updated to include VTDs

Changes to Ballot Styles Shows VTD combinations for each polling precinct

Changes in VoterView Jurisdiction Tab – displays assigned VTD jurisdiction that the voter resides in.

Changes in VoterView Recording Voter History – 2 Choices: SEIMS automatically assigns the VTD based on the voter’s record information; Override the voter record’s current VTD with a new VTD, in the event the voter moved and changes were not updated.

Changes in VoterView Voter History Tab – Shows the voter’s assigned precinct and VTD.

Other Changes SOSA and absentee applications will include VTD A field for VTD will be added in the Provisional Voting Data Entry

Reporting Process: Changes to Voting System

Coding Changes Data export for district relations reports and coding included VTD Since VTD = Precinct, conversion is unnoticeable

Equipment Changes As long as VTD = Precinct, no procedure change M100: Manual sort if coded by ballot style, scanner processes if coded by precinct iVo is well equipped to handle – coded by polling location

ERM Changes No significant impact Key: results must be read into proper reporting groups for consistency of reporting

Election Night Reporting New ENR software, combined with ERM, can generate VTD reports and public displays Public display on Election Night: reporting can be displayed where precinct = polling location

Maintaining Voting Data GS G requires county boards to maintain voting data by VTD, rather than by precinct Reports by VTD must be completed within 60 days after the election

Precinct Changes & Procedures

Precinct Change: Scenario 1 Divide an existing precinct into smaller precincts Precinct 1 Precinct 3 Precinct 4Precinct 2 Precinct 1 Precinct 3 Precinct 4Precinct 2 Precinct 5

Precinct Change: Scenario 1 VTDs are not altered; votes cast in Precinct 3 & 5 are combined to report votes cast in VTD 3 VTD 1 VTD 3 VTD 4VTD 2 Precinct 1 Precinct 3 Precinct 4Precinct 2 Precinct 5

Precinct Change: Scenario 1 VTD is a single unit; multiple precincts can exist within the unit Counties with a precinct that may have two polling places (GS ) use this reporting method VTD 1 Precinct 3 VTD 4VTD 2 Precinct 5

Precinct Change: Scenario 2 Votes must be reported by VTD not the precinct polling location Precinct 1 Precinct 3 Precinct 4Precinct 2 Precinct 1 Precinct 2 3 (merged) Precinct 4

Precinct Change: Scenario 2 Combine two or more existing precincts into one large precinct; the VTDs remain stable VTD 1 VTD 3 VTD 4VTD 2 VTD 1 VTD 4VTD 3 VTD 2

Precinct Change: Scenario 2 Managing votes in this scenario is similar to managing votes cast during one-stop or when municipal precincts are combined into one voting location VTD 1 VTD 4VTD 3 VTD 2

Precinct Change Procedures Requirement to only merge or split whole precincts no longer in effect (GS ) SBE will approve alterations based on a county’s capability to report votes by VTD Legislative Services will no longer review or provide opinion on precinct changes

Precinct Change Proposals SBE is still required to have on file all official precincts throughout the state, therefore when changes are made the following must be submitted (SBE Memo ): Cover letter in executive format Copy of signed CBE resolution Description of how county will comply with GS (record by VTD) New SEIMS precinct code name(s) and SEIMS precinct description name(s) (GS A)

Precinct Change Proposals (cont.) Proposal package contents continued: GIS compatible electronic map of proposed precincts – countywide map; ArcGIS shape files preferred Electronic images of proposed precinct(s); current & proposed boundaries and location of assigned polling site Polling Place Accessibility Survey Polling site required pictures (electronic) Preclearance counties: copy of submission letter & supporting documentation Copy of “Notification to Voters”

Precinct Change Proposal Deadlines No less than 105 days prior to the next election that the new precinct boundaries will be in effect Emergency cases, no less than 75 days prior to the next election that the new precinct boundaries will be in effect

Wrap-up Counties have successfully managed recording of votes by precinct; VTD will require little to no alteration of procedures based on current precinct/VTD lines CBEs will see less impact from federal and state redistricting processes: no realigning of precinct lines and census block lines; removes restrictions imposed on how CBEs can utilize their limited polling places Modifications to SEIMS and voting system are in place and capable of handling the change to VTD SBE now has greater responsibility in setting standards for precincts and reporting of votes