1. Overview of Voter Registration Voter Registration Resources  Voter Registration Guidebook  SVRS SOPs (Most used VRG 1.3 and VRG 58.2)  SVRS Step-By-Step Instructions  Build Notes  Web Training  FAQs, Memos and other communications

2. Overview of Voter Registration  County Voter Registration office DECIDES:  Is voter eligible? 18 years of age, US citizen, resident of precinct?  Uniform standards must be applied  Is application on valid form and complete?  Is application timely received? Special deadlines for postmarked applications

3. Overview of Voter Registration Processing a Voter Registration Application  County Voter Registration office can approve application, reject application, or determine that application is incomplete  If rejected, county mails notice to applicant  If incomplete, county contacts applicant to obtain necessary information. Special procedure for age, citizenship questions (SOP VRG 1.3)  If approved, county mails notice to applicant, whose application becomes “pending”

4. Overview of Voter Registration When Registration Applicant Becomes a Voter  Applicant becomes “active” voter at that address when voter receives acknowledgment notice in mail which is assumed by state law to have happened 7 days after notice mailed, or sooner if applicant presents mailed notice to voter registration office  If notice returned by USPS, then application is “rejected” and applicant was never a registered voter at that address

5. Overview of Voter Registration Keeping it Clean  Important “shorthand” to know:  NVRA (the National Voter Registration Act of 1993).  Note: NVRA requires registration services be provided by the BMV and other full service agencies that use the VRG-6  HAVA (the Help America Vote Act of 2002).  Federal and state laws require voter lists to be kept current.  Federal and state laws restrict how and when voter lists are cleaned up.

6. Overview of Voter Registration WHEN CAN VOTER BE CANCELLED?  Authorized in writing by voter.  Reported deceased by state department of health.  Reported incarcerated by department of correction (or county sheriff) following conviction of crime and imprisonment.  Voter record is NEVER canceled JUST because of non-voting at that address.

7. Overview of Voter Registration Active and Inactive Voters  What if county voter registration office has information that voter no longer resides at address on registration record?  Mailing to voter that permits determination (from NCOA information) that voter no longer resides at address on registration record  Must be “uniform and nondiscriminatory”  Statewide mailing, countywide mailing, jury service notices, etc (See SOP VRG 58.2)

8. Overview of Voter Registration Fail-Safe Procedures  Fail-safe procedures permit a person to vote a regular ballot on election day even though there is an issue with respect to the voter’s registration record.  Certificate of error. When it’s “our bad”.  Cancellation but voter affirms continues to reside at old address.  Registration application receipt from BMV or other full-service registration agency.

9. Overview of Voter Registration VRG 4-12  In certain cases, a voter can return ONE LAST TIME to the precinct where the voter formerly resided to vote at the polls for that precinct  In municipal election only applies to voter who move within a city or town and stays within the same county and congressional district  Does not apply to EVERY voter in every situation  Used to transfer registration record to new address in county (or to cancel record if voter moved to another county).

10. M.O.V.E. What is it?  Federal “Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act” signed into law in 2009 and implemented by the Indiana General Assembly during its 2010 session  Overall purpose of MOVE: Help military serving overseas and citizens who live abroad vote in US elections  Affects deadline for transmitting absentee ballots to approved military/overseas voters: At least 45 DAYS before election day. May affect other election procedures in 2012.

11. M.O.V.E. Registration Changes  Transmit voter registration applications to military/ overseas voters by email or fax if requested by voter to do so  If you are not provided with sufficient fax number or email address to transmit the application within one business day, then you must mail the application

12. M.O.V.E. Common Sense Business Rules for FPCA Where a county has a separate board of voter registration:  Where clerk receives a federal combined registration/ absentee ballot application (FPCA), the clerk shall:  Make a copy of the FPCA to attach to returned absentee ballot and record necessary information in SVRS for sending absentee ballot to the voter.  Forward the original FPCA to the board of registration to process the registration application portion of the combined form.

13. Statewide voter registration system Required by Help America Vote Act: signed October 2002. Designed and built in 2004-2005, with lots of input from county voter registration and election officers. Maintained since January 1, 2006 to improve initial system, reflect changes in federal and state laws. Quest Information Systems: the vendor. Baker Tilly: the state’s project manager.

14. SVRS: Who’s Who Quest is responsible under contract to 3 member SVRS “Core Team”: the Secretary of State; and the two Co-Directors of Election Division. Baker Tilly is responsible to the Core Team for monitoring and managing Quest’s work. HAVA office staff assists the Core Team in day- to-day operations, such as recordkeeping. County Advisory Team (CAT) provides regular input on SVRS system operation by conference calls.

15. SVRS issues, questions, and suggestions Can’t find a system feature, report, or don’t know how to use it? Contact Quest Help Desk. To report a system problem: Contact Quest Help Desk first. Have a question about SVRS and election law? Contact any Core Team member. Have a suggestion to improve SVRS? Contact Baker Tilly or any Core Team member.