Lu Ann Hecht, City Clerk (715) Bridget Hieb, Deputy City Clerk (715) Polling Locations:

Transcription

1 Thank you for serving as an election inspector. We hope this guide serves as a valuable tool during your term as an inspector. Please feel free to contact the Clerk s Office with any concerns or questions! Lu Ann Hecht, City Clerk (715) Bridget Hieb, Deputy City Clerk (715) Polling Locations: District 1, Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and Ward 15 National Guard Armory Chief Inspector Georgia Kelm (715) Alternate Chief Inspector Sue Hodgson (715) District 1, Ward 5 National Guard Armory Chief Inspector David Ostness (715) District 2, Wards 9, 10 & 11 UWRF University Center Chief Inspectors Carol Zalusky (715) Cathleen Hjersjo (715) District 3, Wards 6, 7 & 8 Meyer Middle School Chief Inspectors Crystal Larsen (715) Carolyn Johnson (715) Alternate Chief Inspector Barb Kolpin (715) District 4, Wards 12, 13 & 14 River Falls High School Chief Inspectors Jody Sather (715) Deb Andazola (651)

2 Election Officials Section One Election Officials - 1

3 Election Officials Table of Contents 3 Qualifications 4 Chief Inspectors 5 High School Students 5 Standby List 6 Polling Place Assignments 7 Shifts, Breaks, and No-Shows 8 Training 10 Compensation 11 Election Schedule Election Officials - 2

4 Election Officials Election officials, also known as poll workers or election inspectors, are responsible for maintaining order at the polls on Election Day. Election officials set up the polling place, register voters, record who has voted, issue ballots, monitor the election equipment, count votes, complete Election Day forms, tally write-in votes, and close the polls at the end of the night. All election officials should be able and ready to perform any of the Election Day duties. Depending on the size of an election, there may be 5 to 11 election officials at your polling place. Qualifications To work at a City of River Falls polling place, you must: Be eligible to vote in the City of River Falls (adult U.S. citizen who has resided in the City of River Falls for at least 28 days, and not disqualified from voting). Have never been convicted of a felony. Attend training. Pay close attention to detail. Speak, read, write, and understand English. Be capable of performing each task at the polling place. Work a full or half shift. Work well with others. Perform duties in a non-partisan manner. Abide by state and federal election laws. Never engage in electioneering at the polling place. Treat voters, election officials, and Clerk s Office employees with respect. Refrain from discussing anything political at the polling place. Be free from the influence of alcohol and/or drugs while at the polls. Not be a candidate for any office on the ballot for that election. Election Officials - 3

5 Chief Inspectors The chief inspectors are the election officials who oversee a polling location, direct the conduct of the other election officials, and are in charge on Election Day. The chief inspectors report to the City Clerk, per State Statute. Your polling location will have the same chief inspectors for most every election. Most polling locations have two chief inspectors. Additional election officials have been certified as chief inspectors, and are available to fill last-minute vacancies. The chief inspectors pick up election supplies from the Clerk s Office prior to Election Day. After the polls close, the chief inspectors return the supplies, Edge machine and election results to the City Clerk s Office. The chief inspector schedules election officials for each election. The chief inspector will begin to call election officials approximately three weeks prior to an election. The chief inspector has the authority to dismiss any election official or election observer who is disrupting the election process, acting belligerent, or refusing to follow election law. When turnout is low, election officials may use their downtime to review their election manuals and emergency procedures. Certification The chief inspector becomes certified by the State of Wisconsin after attending a three-hour baseline training class offered through the Government Accountability Board. The State Statutes require chief inspectors to attend six hours of state-approved training every two years. A one-hour training session is offered for all officials prior to each election. Occasionally, a training session may be held specifically for chief inspectors. These sessions give chief inspectors an opportunity to talk about best practices in polling place administration and to share suggestions with each other. Election Officials - 4

6 High School Student Election Officials High school students may work at the polls before they are 18 years old, as long as they meet the following requirements: City of River Falls resident At least 16 years old Grade point average of at least 3.0 Written approval of parent or guardian Written approval of school principal The Clerk s Office provides training for high school poll workers so they are able to perform any Election Day task (with the exception of challenging an elector). Election Officials on Standby The City Clerk s Office occasionally needs to fill last minute vacancies on Election Day. If you are available to work at an election, but have not heard from the chief inspector, call the Clerk s Office at one week prior to the election. If all vacancies have been filled, you can request to be added to the standby list. We will contact individuals on this list as we receive cancellations prior to and on Election Day. Election Officials - 5

7 Frequently Asked Questions I want to work every election. How can I become a regular official? The more flexible, available, and reliable you are, the more you will be asked to work. The list of regular workers is based on many criteria, including reliability, experience, and feedback from the chief inspector. If you would like to work but have not received a call from a chief inspector, call to be added to the standby list. Is anyone ever removed as an election official? Yes. If you do not abide by election law or are electioneering at the polls, you will be removed as an official. If you are a no show on Election Day, or if you miss training more than once in two years, you will be removed from our list. Polling Place Assignments The number of election officials assigned to each polling place is determined by the type of election, anticipated turnout, input from the chief inspector, and the number of voters and wards served by that polling location. Every effort is made to assign election officials to his or her neighborhood polling place. However, there are times when the City Clerk requests officials to be willing and flexible in order to cover vacancies at other sites. Approximately three weeks before an election, the chief inspectors begin calling election officials to fill vacancies. You do not need to wait to hear from the chief inspector; you can call them to express your willingness to work. Election officials are responsible for responding to the chief inspectors in a timely manner. Please return the chief inspector s phone call within 48 hours. If the chief inspectors have not heard back from you within 48 hours, they may ask another election official to fill the vacancy. All election officials are required to wear a name tag identifying them as an election official. The Clerk s Office reserves the right to require other identifying apparel as deemed necessary. Election Officials - 6

8 Shifts The City of River Falls offers three Election Day shifts: A.M. Shift (6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) P.M. Shift (1 p.m. to Close) Full Day (6 a.m. to Close) These shifts are subject to change at the Chief Inspector s discretion. Breaks The chief inspector will assign breaks in such a way that they do not disrupt the election process. If approved by the chief inspector, election officials may receive one 15 minute break in the morning and one 15 minute break in the afternoon. The City will pay for breaks if the election official remains inside the polling place and within an area where the chiefs can call them back to work. When you agree to work a shift at the polls, we are counting on you to be available to work that entire shift. Please do not plan to leave before the end of your shift. Arrangements to provide care for your children, parents, or pets should be made prior to Election Day. Absentee Voting I will not be working at my own polling place. How do I vote? You may vote absentee in the Clerk s Office during normal business hours. To receive an absentee ballot by mail, send a written request to: City Clerk 222 Lewis Street River Falls, WI Include your name, address at which you are registered to vote, address to which the ballot should be sent, and your signature. No Shows If you are scheduled to work on Election Day and are unable to do so, notify the chief inspector as soon as possible. The Clerk s Office is staffed at 6 a.m. on election morning, and voice mail is always available at If you fail to notify the chief inspector, you will not be asked to work again. Election Officials - 7

9 Training Chapter 7 of the State Statutes requires all election officials to attend training. The City Clerk, who is responsible for making sure all election officials are well trained, has determined that the most effective way to meet this requirement is to require all officials to attend training just prior to every election they work. The Clerk s Office offers one training session the Thursday before each election. The session is held at City Hall during the late afternoon, usually at 4pm. Election officials will be notified as soon as possible if the day of the training must be changed. Depending on the size of the election, more than one training session may be scheduled. Officials working an election are expected to attend training. If an emergency situation arises, please call the Clerk s Office for an alternate to in-house training. Election officials may only work one election in a two-year period without attending training. The City Clerk s Office tries to accommodate as many learning styles as possible. The types of training described on the next page are offered before each election. Additional types of training may also be offered. Absence from training is neglect of duty, one of the grounds for dismissal, according to the Government Accountability Board. Election Officials - 8

10 Voting Machine Training Hands-on machine training teaches election officials how to set up the machines, run the zero tape, vote a ballot, troubleshoot, use the accessibility equipment, and run the election results. Space is limited, so reservations are required. Power Point Presentations Traditional Power Point presentations and discussions are offered the Thursday before the election. Presentation topics are determined by changes in law and feedback from election officials, chief inspectors, and the Board of Canvassers. Reservations are generally not required for this type of training. Online Training Videos Training presentations are available as videos at the Government Accountability Board website. To receive credit for this type of training, prior approval must be obtained by the Clerk s Office. A training certificate and assessment must be completed by the election official. Frequently Asked Questions about Training I have been working at the polls for 50 years. Why do I need to attend training? Election law and procedures change quickly. And, training is required by State Statute. Why can t the chief inspector just train us on Election Day? The chief inspector has many other responsibilities on Election Day, and the City Clerk is required by law to train all election officials. I already know all there is to know about elections. Do I still need to attend training? You absolutely must attend training. Bottom Line: If you want to work at the polls, you will attend training. Election Officials - 9

11 Compensation The City of River Falls pays its election officials an hourly wage. Election inspectors are compensated for working at the polling place and for attending inhouse training sessions. The current pay for election inspectors is $8.25/hour. Chief inspectors are compensated for working at the polling, attending in-house training sessions, and calling poll workers to work. The current pay for election inspectors is $10.00/hour. Election officials may choose to volunteer their services by filing a written declination of compensation with the City Clerk. All appointed election officials who wish to receive payment from the City of River Falls will be required to fill out necessary paperwork and provide proper documentation with the payroll department. All payroll payments are made via direct deposit into an account(s) of your choice. Paychecks are generally sent out within three weeks of an election. Meal breaks are allowed and determined by the chief inspector. If you leave the polling location at any time for a break, that time is unpaid. For busier elections, you are encouraged to bring necessary meals with you. Occasionally, the Chief Inspector will arrange for workers to bring a dish to pass. Meals are not provided by the City of River Falls except on rare occasions and at the discretion of the Clerk s Office. When incomplete payroll sheets are submitted to the Clerk s Office, it delays the payroll process for everyone. Election officials are responsible for recording their own time on their payroll sheet and signing it. Payroll sheets must be legible and filled out with ink pen. If you have moved, be sure to contact the Clerk s Office to update your address. Election Officials - 10

12 Regularly Scheduled Elections: Spring Primary Primary held on the third Tuesday in February to nominate non-partisan candidates to be voted for at the Spring Election. 5.02(22) Spring Election Election held on the first Tuesday in April to elect judicial, educational, and municipal officers, and non-partisan county officers, and to express preferences for the person to be the presidential candidate for each party in a year in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected. 5.02(21) Fall Primary Primary held the second Tuesday in August of even-numbered years to nominate candidates to be voted for at the General Election and to determine which candidates for state offices other than district attorney may participate in the Wisconsin election campaign fund. 5.02(18) General Election Election held in even-numbered years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to elect United States senators, representatives in congress, presidential electors, state senators, representatives to the assembly, district attorneys, state officers other than the state superintendent and judicial officers, and county officers other than supervisors and county executives. 5.02(5) Election Officials - 11

13 Opening the Polls Section Two Opening the Polls - 1

14 Opening the Polls Table of Contents 5 Task Sheets 6 Cell Phone 7 Voting Booths 8 Tabulator Cart 8 Poll Book Table 9 Voter Registration Table 10 Greeter Station 10 Provisional Voter Table 10 Observer Areas 11 Signage 13 Eagle Optical Scan Voting Machine 15 Edge Touchscreen Voting Machine 17 Accessibility Opening the Polls - 2

15 Training Prior to Election Day All City of River Falls election officials are required to attend training before every election that they work. Training is offered the Thursday afternoon prior to the election. Chief Inspector Tasks Prior to Election Day Chief inspectors are required to attend training before every election that they work. Training is offered the Thursday afternoon prior to the election. Chief inspectors unable to attend this training should make arrangements to meet with the City Clerk the day before the election so they are up-to-date on any recent changes to state elections law and procedures. Chief inspectors pick up the City Clerk sign portfolio from the Clerk s Office the Thursday before the election. This portfolio contains your signage for Election Day. Chief inspectors are welcome to pick up any other supplies that would be helpful in preparing them for Election Day. The Clerk s Office will arrange the polling place prior to Election Day to confirm your voting location. Facility contact staff will also be identified for each polling location. Remember that your polling place is offering the use of its facility as a polling place free of charge! It is important to maintain a polite and respectful relationship with facility staff. Contact the election officials who are scheduled to work at your polling place so they know what to expect, e.g., verify attendance at training, where to park on Election Day, which entrance to use, and whether to pack a lunch. Give them your contact information. Confirm the workers assigned hours/shifts and location. Opening the Polls - 3

16 A cell phone will be provided to each polling location. The cell phone can be found in the white supply box located inside the black tote. Chief inspectors should turn the phone on in the morning and keep it within hearing distance throughout the day. The Clerk s Office occasionally may need to be in contact with the chief inspectors throughout the day. Chief inspectors should check for messages regularly. The cell phone should remain turned on until the chief inspectors return the election results to City Hall at the end of the evening. Locate and review the various task sheets to be handed to the election officials as they are assigned to specific set-up activities. Plan Election Day assignments, keeping in mind that new election officials should be paired with experienced officials. State statutes require you to designate your end of line officer prior to Election Day. Determine which official will be assigned to stand at the end of the line of voters at 8 p.m. on election night. Opening the Polls - 4

17 Election Officials Election officials should be at their designated polling location at 6 a.m. to prepare to open the polls promptly at 7 a.m. Polling places open at 7 a.m. statewide. Maintenance personnel at each of our polling locations are instructed to allow election officials into the building at 6 a.m. Election official payroll begins no earlier than 6 a.m. The election equipment is delivered to your polling place the day before the election. The chief inspector will bring the signage to the polling place. Task Sheets The chief inspector will hand out task sheets as they assign tasks to each election official. Task sheets provide pictures and step-by-step instructions for setting up the polling place. The chief inspector cannot set up the polling place alone. All election officials scheduled to work the a.m. shift need to help with election morning tasks. If you are unsure of what to do in the morning, ask the chief inspector, How can I help? 6 a.m. Troubleshooting What if the polling place is not unlocked at 6 a.m.? Give the custodial staff a couple of minutes. The phone number for custodial staff is programmed into the city cell phone that the chief inspector will have. If you are unable to reach anyone at the polling place, call the City Clerk s Office at or What if I am running late on Election morning? Call the Clerk s Office right away. Remember that the other election officials are counting on your help at 6 a.m. What if a chief inspector does not show up? Call the Clerk s Office. We will track down the chief inspector and help get your polling place set up. What if an election official is a no-show? Call the Clerk s Office. We will try to reach the missing election official, and may ask someone on the standby list to work at your polling location. Can we set up the polling place before 6 a.m.? Payroll does not begin until 6 a.m. If you arrive at your polling location before 6 a.m., it may be locked, and there will be no one in the Clerk s Office to help you troubleshoot. Opening the Polls - 5

18 Turn on Cell Phone The cell phone is your line of communication with the City Clerk s Office. The Clerk s Office will charge the phone prior to Election Day. To turn on the phone, press and hold the red end button for three seconds until the LCD screen lights up. The Clerk s Office has programmed the following phone numbers into the phone for you: City Hall/Clerk s Office County Clerk s Office Facilities contact at your Polling Place Government Accountability Board River Falls Police Non-Emergency To call one of these contacts, press the button on the upper left hand corner of the phone s keypad. Find contacts in the icon list and press OK. Scroll through the contacts list. Press the green send key to call a number highlighted in your contacts. When your phone rings, press the green send key to answer. Press the red end key to terminate a call. Leave the cell phone turned on and within hearing distance all day, in case the City Clerk s Office needs to reach you. City cell phones are only to be used for election purposes or for emergencies. Opening the Polls - 6

19 Voting Booth Set-Up The voting booths will be put together and set up the day before the election by the Public Works crew. If the booths must be moved, two or three people should assist as they are all linked together. The Public Works crew will take down and remove the voting booths the morning after the election. Eagle Optical Scan Machine Take the keys, which can be found in the white supply box on the red coiled key chain, and unlock all three compartments of the machine. Remove the ballots, supplies, and machine instructions from inside the machine. Lock all three compartments after they have been emptied. Follow the machine instructions for set-up. Ballot Table One official may initial some of the ballots prior to the polls opening. The 2 nd election official at the ballot table adds the second set of initials to the ballot just before handing the ballot to the voter. Ballots are initialed on the two lines under ballot issued by and above initials of inspectors. MRB IEB The following should also be placed on the ballot table: Laminated Edge cards(white supply box), Assisting electors & voter assistance form(sign portfolio), Privacy ballot sleeves (sign portfolio), How to mark your ballot sign(sign portfolio), Spindle for voter slips (black tote), Sample ballot (sign portfolio) One set of initials may be applied in advance. The second set of initials should be added just prior to handing the ballot to the voter. Opening the Polls - 7

20 Poll Book Table The poll book table should be placed so that voters waiting to check in do not cross lines with those waiting to receive a ballot. Place the floor sign Please stop here and wait in front of the table with enough space for a walkway between the table and the sign. This keeps voters from encroaching on the poll book table. The following items should be placed on the table: State your name and address sign (sign portfolio) Poll books (Eagle voting machine) Voter number pad (white supply box) Red pens/pencils to write absentee voter numbers (white supply box) Black pens to write voter numbers (white supply box) Yellow highlighter (white supply box) Names on the absentee log should be highlighted on the poll book so officials at the poll book will know whom to ask whether they have returned their absentee ballot. The poll books contain many informational tabs to assist with voter questions or situations that may arise. Opening the Polls - 8

21 Voter Registration Table The voter registration table should be placed where it is visible to voters who need to register or change their name and/or address before they arrive at the poll book table. Post the sign Register Here in a visible area on the table. Many items for the registration table are found in the blue accordian folder labeled voter registration. The folder is found inside the Eagle voting machine cart. Place the following items on the registration table: Voter registration application forms Red pens (found in white supply box) Proof of residence sign Sample registration sign Maps Ineligible voter list Street directory Dorm addresses (if applicable) Opening the Polls - 9

22 Greeter Station One election official greets voters, verifies that each voter is registered, and is at the correct polling location. The greeter directs voters to the registration table, poll book table, or correct polling place. Place the following on this table: Voter listing Street directory Maps Pens and paper Greeters are not used at every election. Provisional Voters The chief inspectors are responsible for walking a voter through the provisional ballot process. All election officials should know when a provisional ballot is offered to a voter. This process should be within sight and ear shot of a voting booth. The chief inspector will make sure provisional ballots are not fed into the voting machine. Place the brown provisional ballot accordion folder on the chief inspector table in case it is needed. Observer Areas Use masking tape or painter s tape to define the boundaries of your observer areas behind the poll book table, the registration table, and the absentee ballot processing table. Observer areas should be no closer than 6 feet and no more than 12 feet away from the activity being observed. Opening the Polls - 10

23 Post Sample Ballots and Signage You will find a large brown portfolio folder with the Election Day signage. Everything in the folder, with the exception of the cell phone sign and voter tips, must be posted to comply with state and federal election law. In addition to the items in this folder, you will need to post two sample ballots for each ballot style used at your polling location. Masking tape and blue painters tape can be found in your white supply box. Place a small rolled piece of tape on the back of the signs for a neater appearance. Signage should be posted in a location that allows voters to easily read the notices while entering the polling place or waiting in line to vote. The following items must be posted: Legal Notices Text of the notices the city, county, and/or school district were required to publish in the newspaper prior to the election. Instructions for Marking Ballot Diagram of how to correctly complete the broken arrow to vote on an optical scan ballot. This is posted at the ballot table. Sample Ballots (two per ballot style) Show both sides of the ballot, if the ballot is two-sided. One sample ballot is posted at the ballot table. Ward Map(s) Maps identifying the wards served by your polling location. Voter Qualification Poster Notice explaining the requirements for an individual to be qualified to vote. Instructions for First-Time Voters Notice explaining the requirement that firsttime voters provide proof of residence. Opening the Polls - 11

24 Voting Rights Notice providing information on voting rights protected by federal law. Election Fraud Explanation of the laws and penalties related to election fraud. Contact Information Notice regarding who voters should contact if they have concerns about the voting process. Polling Hours & Locations Post this sign at the main entrance to the polling location. All polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Polling Place Vote Here signs The morning of the election, Public Works crew will deliver and set-up the signs for all polling locations. Opening the Polls - 12

25 Eagle Set Up Use the red-top key to open the access panel on the back of the tabulator. Plug in Eagle Optical Machine Carefully remove the electrical cord and plug it into a threeprong grounded outlet. The red power light on the front panel of the machine will turn on. The Eagle will automatically print the zero tape. Do not tear off this tape until the polls are closed and you have run a results tape. If the tape gets too long, fold it up and paper clip. Sign & Record Seal Number Verify all contests appear on the zero tape with zero votes cast. Election officials must record the seal number on the zero tape before voting begins. Verify the tabulator door seal number on the Inspectors Statement as well. Three, five, or seven officials must sign the zero tape. Opening the Polls - 13

26 Lock Back Panel Close and lock the access panel. Check Front Panel Check the front panel of the tabulator. Both the red and green light should be illuminated. The red light shows that the machine is on. The green light indicates that the machine is ready to accept ballots. Record tabulator door seal number on zero tape and on front page of Inspectors Statement. Three, five, or seven Election Officials need to sign the zero tape. Opening the Polls - 14

27 Edge Voting Machine The Edge handicap accessible machine should be set up to give the voter privacy. People standing in line should not be able to look at the touch screen and see how the elector is casting his/her vote or have traffic flow behind the machine. Provide adequate space (turning radius of 5 feet by 5 feet) for voters in mobility devices to access the machine. Step-by-step set-up instructions for the Edge can be found inside the Eagle optical scan machine. Set-Up To prevent injuries, two election officials should lift the Edge machine whether it is done from a table or the floor. Remove the panel for the leg storage, set-up the legs, replace the panel, and turn over onto the floor. Remove the cover and the power cord. Plug the cord into an outlet. Position Touch Screen The touch screen has three positions. Typically the screen is placed in the middle position. The most upright position is helpful to voters in mobility devices so there isn t a glare on the screen (be sure the screen locks into position in this upright status). Printer and Headphones Extra care should be taken when plugging the printer and headphones into the voting machine. It is helpful to have one election official hold the touch screen in an upright position so the other election official can see which way the plugs should go into the machine. Opening the Polls - 15

28 Turning on the Edge Machine The steps to prepare your machine for Election Day must be exact or the machine may be rendered incapacitated for part or all of the day. Please follow the step-by-step instructions. Zoom In The touch screen can be magnified to provide voters with a more accessible sized font on the touch screen. Assemble Privacy Screen Every Edge machine has a privacy screen in the compartment behind the touch screen. Attach the privacy screen over the printer so others cannot see how someone voted. The printer should be finished advancing before allowing the next voter to approach the machine. The headphones should be readily available in the event a voter with poor or no eyesight needs to use them. If a voter is assisted, specific procedure must be followed. An Election Official s Story The handicap accessible machines may be intimidating, frustrating, or any number of other things, but I love it. Why? Last November, I learned why we should all value this machine. Several electors in my ward are confined to wheelchairs, often including other afflictions that restrict the use of their arms to a greater or lesser degree. But last November, I got to witness the sheer joy of one such individual when he learned that he would not need assistance. He can t hold a pen, but he can touch a screen. For the first time in his life, he was able to submit a completely confidential ballot. He smiled. He loved it. Now I don t grumble when the duty of setting up the handicap accessible machine falls to me. Sure it s frustrating now and then, but I appreciate what this machine does and will never let my frustration with that cumbersome process stand in the way of another handicapped person experiencing the joy of confidential voting! Opening the Polls - 16

29 Check Polling Place Accessibility Disability Rights Wisconsin has created a helpful checklist to be used on election morning. This checklist is included in the chief inspector s opening the polls checklist. A copy can be found at the end of this chapter. If the automatic door opener at your polling place is not working, prop the door open or assign an election official to monitor the polling place entrance to help voters who are unable to open the door. Please let the Clerk s Office know if the automatic door opener is not working. Watch for these common barriers Snow or ice Contact custodial staff at the polling place to have the sidewalk and parking lot cleared. If custodial staff is not available, please call the Clerk s Office and we will send Public Works crew to handle the issue. Mats/rugs not securely fastened Contact custodial staff at the polling place to have the mats fastened or removed. Wet floors Ask custodial staff to place a barrier such as a wet floor sign slightly ahead of the wet area so a voter will know to move around the object. Opening the Polls - 17

30 Election Day Accessibility Checklist The purpose of this checklist is to allow you, the poll worker, to quickly assess whether your polling place has barriers for people with disabilities on Election Day. If you identify barriers, you should inform the chief inspector or municipal clerk so the barrier can be addressed as soon as possible. Parking For polling locations that have parking lots: Accessible space(s) are clearly marked with the standard accessible parking sign. The accessible space(s) are located nearest to the accessible entrance. There is at least one van accessible space. There is an accessible way to get from the parking lot to the sidewalk. The parking lot is firm, stable and slip-resistant. For polling locations that do not have parking lots: There is an accessible passenger drop-off area, or temporary on or off street accessible parking that could be designated on Election Day. Pathways to the Building The path to the accessible entrance is clearly marked with large print signs if it is different from the primary route to the building. The path of travel is free of breaks and edges and is clear of debris such as snow, ice and leaves, and low-hanging objects such as tree branches. The path of travel has the necessary curb cuts and ramps so that a person using a mobility device could access the building with ease. All ramps have handrails. The path of travel is well-lit. Entrance to the Building The entrance to the building is free of steps or has a ramp or elevator. The accessible entrance to the building is unlocked. The accessible entrance to the building has an automatic door opener or a call button, or there is someone assigned to watch the accessible entrance to the building, who will go assist people having trouble getting into the building. Opening the Polls - 18

31 Travel within Building The accessible route to the voting area is clearly marked with large print signs if it is different from the main route and/or if it is not immediately inside the accessible entrance. Interior doors along accessible route are unlocked, have automatic doors or are propped open, or require less than five pounds of opening force. If there are stairs to the voting area, an accessible elevator is available. Hallways are well-lit and free of low-hanging objects and items protruding from the wall or sitting on the floor. All rugs and mats along the accessible route have low pile and are securely fastened (or removed). Voting Area Instructions for voting are printed in Large Print (18 point font or larger) and displayed in a convenient and obvious location. The path of travel in the voting area is wide enough for an individual using a mobility device to navigate and turn around with ease (minimum of 5x5 feet). There is a table, counter or voting booth that is extra wide at the bottom (at least 36 inches), and at good height (between 28 and 34 inches) to allow someone who uses a mobility device to use it comfortably and reach all parts of the voting equipment. Poll workers are trained in using and explaining the accessible voting equipment to voters. There is a plan in place to identify when a voter wants to vote curbside, and poll workers are aware of the curbside voting policy. Poll workers are aware of the special needs of voters with disabilities and are willing to provide reasonable accommodations when requested. The polling location has the following: Pen/paper to communicate with voters who are deaf or hard of hearing. Magnifying glass for voters with sight impairment. Extra seating to allow voters who have trouble standing or walking to wait to vote and maintain their place in line. Your municipal clerk will have more detailed information about accessibility rules and laws. Additional information that may be helpful includes: Wisconsin State Elections Board Polling Place Accessibility Survey Form: Department of Justice ADA Checklist for Polling Places: This checklist was created by Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW). If you have questions about this checklist or about accessibility, you can contact DRW at 608/ or 888/ (TTY). People with disabilities can also contact DR if they have questions or concerns. Our toll free line for consumers and family is 800/ Opening the Polls - 19

32 Voting Hours Section Three Voting Hours - 1

33 Voting Hours Table of Contents 3 Voting Hours 4 Documentation 5 Incident Log 6 Voter Qualifications 7 UW Students 7 Voters who just moved 7 Overseas Voters 8 Poll Lists 9 Deciphering the Poll List 10 Supplemental Poll Lists 13 Processing Voters 15 Voters not on Poll List 16 Voter Registration 20 Proof of Residence 24 Issuing Ballots 25 Voter Instructions 27 Replacement Ballots 28 Party Preference 28 Assisting Voters 29 Edge Touchscreen 30 Accessibility Guidelines 31 Curbside Voting 32 Absentee Ballot Delivery 32 Processing Absentees 37 Rejected Absentees 38 Duplicating Ballots 40 Provisional Voting 44 Confidential Voters 44 Military Voters 45 Homeless Voters 46 Presidential Ballots 47 Federal Ballots 47 Federal Write-In Ballots 48 Long Lines 48 Electioneering 49 Media 50 Full Ballot Box 51 Running Out of Ballots 52 Jammed Ballots 53 Emergency Bin 54 Eagle Machine Messages 56 Changing the Paper Rolls 59 Election Observers 62 Challenging Voters 66 Emergency Plan Voting Hours - 2

34 Voting Hours Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide. At 7 a.m., the chief inspector makes the following proclamation: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The polls of the election are now open, and will continue to be open until 8 o clock this evening! Election Official Duties As an election official, you are responsible for facilitating the right to vote. Remember that your interactions with voters will directly impact their confidence in the integrity of our elections. Election officials should rotate duties throughout the day. Voters are best served by election officials who understand the overall election process. Cross-training also keeps election officials accountable to each other. It is not acceptable to refuse to learn more than one Election Day task. When in Doubt, Call the Clerk If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the City Clerk s Office at or for clarification. If you do not get an immediate answer at either number, please leave a voice mail message. You may also call any of the individuals below with Election Day questions: County Clerk Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Command Central (Machine problems only) Voting Hours - 3

35 Documentation Comprehensive documentation is the key to transparent elections. Frequently Asked Questions Isn t documentation the responsibility of the Chief Inspector? The Chief Inspector usually records most of the events on the Incident Log. However, it is important that you are aware of what needs to be recorded on the log, so you can notify the Chief Inspector whenever something needs to be documented. The Chief Inspector may ask any election official to document an event on the Incident Log. What if we forget to document something on Election Day? If you do not document an incident, then there is no proof that it happened. This can be a big problem in the case of a recount, where everything about the election is brought into question. How many election officials should initial each item on the Incident Log? Most items will require one set of initials. However, there should be two sets of initials for every out of the ordinary incident in which election officials touch a voted ballot. For example, apply two sets of initials whenever the ballot box is opened, ballots from the emergency bin are fed through the machine, or a ballot is remade. The election officials at each polling place create a paper trail that can be used in a recount to recreate every incident that took place on Election Day. This documentation is recorded on the Inspectors Statement, Incident Log, poll books, registration forms, poll list of new registrations, tabulator tape, absentee ballot certificates, chain of custody forms, write-in tally sheets, and the ballot bag certificates. Inspectors Statement The Inspectors Statement is found in your polling place Election Day binder. The Inspectors Statement serves as both a chain-of-custody and an election statistics report. The Board of Canvassers uses the Inspectors Statement to certify the election results for your polling place. Voting Hours - 4

36 Incident Log The Incident Log is part of the Inspectors Statement. Use this log to record Election Day events. For example: Incident Number 1 2 Description of Incident Tabulator seal does not match seal listed on Inspectors Statement. Seal #12345 is on tabulator, but Inspectors Statement lists seal # Notified Clerk. Two election officials opened compartment of ballot box to clear ballot jam. 3 Power outage 4 Power restored 5 Absentee ballots delivered, seal # Tabulator jammed, emergency bin in use Tabulator replaced, ballots from emergency bin fed into tabulator by two election officials. Absentee ballot of Donna Hardy rejected: certificate missing voter signature. Remade bad ballot #1; voter used ballpoint pen. Note: to protect secrecy of ballot, do not list voter s name for remade ballot. Otherwise, their vote would not be kept secret in the case of a recount. Ballot bin is full. Two election officials emptied bin and secured ballots in ballot bags. Ballot bags guarded by election officials at voter registration table. Voter Lauren McMahon challenged on age, challenge dropped. Voter left polling place with a ballot, so we have issued one more voter slip than ballots cast. Election observer Dan Smith removed from polling place for electioneering. Time Incident Occurred 6:15 a.m. p.m. 9:00 a.m. p.m. 10:20 a.m. p.m. 10:25 a.m. p.m. 1:30 a.m. p.m. 2:00 a.m. p.m. 2:15 a.m. p.m. 3:15 a.m. p.m. 4:30 a.m. p.m. 5:15 a.m. p.m. 6:00 a.m. p.m. 6:45 a.m. p.m. 7:15 a.m. p.m. Election Official Initials EJE SAM LAD EJE EJE SAM EJE EJE LAD SAM SAM LAD EJE LAD EJE EJE EJE Voting Hours - 5

37 Voter Qualifications An individual must meet the following requirements in order to be a qualified elector: United States citizen. Age 18 or older as of Election Day. Resident of the ward for 28 consecutive days before the election. If convicted of a felony, treason, or bribery, has completed the terms of their sentence including probation, parole, or extended supervision. An individual is not eligible to vote if they meet any of the following conditions (See State Statute 6.03): Serving a sentence, including probation, parole, or extended supervision, for a felony, treason, or bribery. Determined by a court to be incapable of understanding the objective of the elective process, or under guardianship. Interested, directly or indirectly, in any bet or wager depending upon the result of the election. Temporary resident or worker VISA holder not a United States citizen. Permanent resident card (Green Card) holder not a United States citizen. Individuals convicted of a felony can vote once they complete the terms of their sentence, including probation, parole, and/or extended supervision. Voting Hours - 6

38 University Students Students living in River Falls can choose to register and vote in River Falls, or to register and vote wherever they resided before attending school. When students register to vote in River Falls, their hometown voter registration is cancelled. Voters Intending to Return to River Falls Voters who move away from River Falls with the intention of returning, may remain registered and continue voting from their River Falls address. This often applies to those who are attending college away from River Falls, studying abroad, receiving care in a nursing home, or away on business. Voters Moving within 28 Days of Election Voters who move within 28 days of an election are not yet eligible to vote from their new address. These voters must vote from the address at which they lived 28 days prior to the election, which means that they may need to vote in a different municipality. Voters Permanently Overseas When a voter moves overseas with no intention of returning, they maintain the right to vote for federal offices only (President and Congress) from the address at which they were last registered to vote. These voters may have moved away from River Falls decades ago, so their address in the poll book may be for a house that has been demolished. The address may not appear to be valid, but the voter s registration at that address has been verified by the City Clerk s Office for inclusion in the poll book. Voting Hours - 7

39 Poll Lists Every ward has two duplicate poll lists (also known as poll books or voter lists), one for the City Clerk and one for the County Clerk. Registered voters are listed in alphabetical order by last name, then by first name. The original, bound poll lists will contain the names and addresses of all voters in the ward who registered to vote more than 20 days before the election. Voting Hours - 8

40 Deciphering the Poll List To the left of each voter s name you will find the unique Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) voter number and barcode given to each voter. If a name has a voter number filled in by election officials from Election Day, the Clerk s Office will scan the barcode underneath the voter number to update the voter history in SVRS. If someone voted in more than one municipality, SVRS will identify that discrepancy, and the Clerk s Office will notify the District Attorney. To the very left side of the page, you will find the election description, the voter s ward number, district combination code, and Notes section. The district combination code s first set of numbers indicates the City of River Falls, the next three digits are the ward number, and the next digits indicate the school district. The fine print indicates the Aldermanic, Congressional, School, and Assembly Districts. The Notes section can be used to write anything related to the voter that the Clerk s Office may need to know about or change. If a voter receives assistance voting from a designee of their choice, the assistant s name and address are recorded in this area. Because space is limited in this area, the poll book will also contain a Poll Book Corrections form and Voter Assistance form. Information can be written on these documents instead of in the Notes section. To the right of the voter s name, you will find a signature box with their name above and some numbers to the right of it. The numbers are helpful for voter s locating where they sign. The election official can tell the proper voter to sign by, for example, line 2. Only one copy of the poll book needs to be signed by voters and all signatures are collected in a single poll book. Voting Hours - 9

41 The poll book can also contain watermarks under the signature box. Watermarks you may see include absentee, POR required, military, and overseas. More than one watermark can appear at a time on the poll book. A military watermark indicates that a military voter has been issued an absentee ballot in SVRS. An overseas watermark indicates that an overseas voter has been issued an absentee ballot in SVRS. An absentee watermark indicates that the voter received an absentee ballot by the time the poll book was printed. An election official will highlight the names of all voters on the absentee ballot log who do not have an absentee ballot returned date listed. The election official will also highlight these same names in the poll book along with the watermark absentee. These voters are allowed to cast a vote at the polls if they have not returned their absentee ballot to the Clerk s Office. You will need to ask each voter who has been issued an absentee ballot whether they have returned that absentee. Voters who did not return their absentee may vote at the polls. Voters who returned their absentee ballot may not vote at the polls without committing a felony. A POR required watermark means a first-time Wisconsin voter registered by mail and failed to provide proof of residence. The voter has been notified that he or she will need to show proof of residence at the polls. If the voter is unable to provide acceptable proof of residence, he or she will need to vote a provisional ballot. Supplemental Poll List Voters who registered 20 to 4 days before an election will be listed on a supplemental poll list in the back of your poll book. Look for the Supplemental List Late Registrations tab in your poll book. Your polling location may have no late registrations, and therefore, no supplemental poll list, especially for an election with low turnout. Voting Hours - 10

42 Poll List for New Registrations/Changes of Address Voters who register to vote on Election Day or need to submit a change of address are recorded on another supplemental poll list located in the back of your poll book. Look for the tab labeled Supplemental List Change/New Reg. Voters who register to vote in the Clerk s Office after the poll books are printed will not appear in the poll list, but will have a Certificate of Registration attached to the pages in the Supplemental List Late Registration section of the poll book. This certificate will be a half sheet of paper, signed by the Clerk s Office. When the voter comes in to vote, they may have the other half of the sheet of paper which will be a duplicate Certificate of Registration, also signed by the Clerk s Office, but is not required. Their information should be recorded in the Supplement List Change/New Reg. section of the poll book. Voting Hours - 11

43 For convenience, labels are located at the voter registration table. The voter and/or voter registration election official will fill out two identical labels that include the voter s name and address. The election official should fill in the type of proof of residence used in the proper section of the label. It is important that the labels are legible, because in addition to recording who voted, it is used to help the Clerk s Office decipher illegible hand writing on Election Day voter registration forms. The voter will take their voter registration application and the two labels and present them to the election officials at the poll books. Each official will take one label and affix it to the label section of the Supplemental List for Change of Address/New Reg. The election official will issue a voter number and have the voter sign in the signature box in the poll book that contains all the signatures. The City Clerk s Office will use this supplemental poll list to double-check that it properly processes the correct number of voter registration forms for your ward. Voting Hours - 12

44 Processing Voters As voters check in at the poll book, they must state their name and address. This requirement even applies to your spouse and your neighbors. The only exception is for confidential voters. Voting is a public act. Election observers and other voters must be able to hear the name and address so they can challenge the voter if necessary. If a voter is unable or unwilling to speak, an election official will announce the voter s name and address. Check the poll list for the voter s name. If the voter is registered at his or her current address, ask the voter to sign the poll book. Voters who are unable to sign the poll book because of a physical disability are exempt from signing the poll book. Write exempt by order of inspectors in their signature box. Remember, not all disabilities are visible. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the voter does not need to tell you the nature of his or her disability. If a voter declares that he or she is unable to sign the poll book because of a physical disability but you know that to not be true, you will need to proceed with the challenge process. If a voter refuses to sign the poll book for any reason other than a disability, you cannot issue that voter a ballot. Issue a voter slip number once the poll book has been signed. Voter slips are numbered sequentially. The first voter of the day gets voter slip #1, the second voter of the day gets voter slip #2, and so on. Voting Hours - 13

45 For some elections, your polling location may have more than one ballot style. The ballots will be different colors in this case. The official issuing voter slips should either write the colored ballot needed on the slip or use a highlighter to indicate which color ballot the voter needs. Assist each other by calling out a page number when locating a voter s name on the poll list. Use a black pen to carefully record the voter slip number next to the voter s name on the poll list. As you record the voter slip number, repeat the name of the voter and the voter slip number aloud. This minimizes mistakes on the poll list. Hand the voter slip to the voter. Voter slip numbers for absentee voters should be written in red followed by a capitol A for absentee. Election officials are required to reconcile the poll lists throughout the day to ensure that the completed poll lists will be identical at the end of the night. This can be done as you check-in each voter by counting and comparing the number of voters recorded on that page of the poll list. Or, you can compare names and voter slips numbers throughout the day, placing a checkmark after the name of each voter you have reconciled. This eliminates the need to keep reconciling the same voters all day long. Some elections may not allow enough time to reconcile the poll lists, so accuracy is key. 5 Curtis Bruns Can election observers look through the poll books? Observers may not ever touch the poll books. Only the election officials can touch the poll lists because they are the official record of who has voted. If time permits, an election official can turn the pages of a poll book to allow an election observer to see who has voted, but under no circumstances may an observer touch any official Election Day documentation. Voting Hours - 14

46 Voters Not Found on the Poll List There are several reasons a voter s name will not appear on the poll list: Voter registered late. Voters who registered in the Clerk s Office during closed registration will have a certificate of registration. They may present this certificate to the election officials, but are not required to do so. Record voter slip numbers on the Change of Address/New Reg supplemental poll list. Voter is not registered at current address. If the voter has yet to register to vote at this address, send him or her to the voter registration table. Voter s name is misspelled. If the voter s name is misspelled, note the correction on the Poll List Corrections form found in the back of the poll book binder under the Poll List Corrections tab. Voter is at the wrong polling place. Check the street directory found in the back of your poll book binder to make sure the voter s street and address are within your district. If the address is in another ward or municipality, direct the voter to the correct polling place. Voter s registration was cancelled. The Government Accountability Board mails postcards to verify voters reside at the address on their registration forms. When postcards are returned as undeliverable, the City Clerk s Office inactivates the associated voter registration. Registrations are automatically cancelled when the voter registers to vote elsewhere, the voter record matches a felon record, or the voter record matches a death record. Registration Verified by Clerk s Office: If the voter insists that he or she is registered to vote but cannot be found on the poll list, call the Clerk s Office at or The Clerk s Office will check the Statewide Voter Registration System and instruct election officials accordingly. Voting Hours - 15

47 Election Day Voter Registration Wisconsin allows voters to register at the polls on Election Day, with an acceptable form of proof of residence. Registration forms are in a manila pocket folder labeled Voter Registration, which is found in the Eagle voting machine. Voters may fill out the registration form online, print it out, and bring it in to the polling place for the election officials to verify and finish. Clipboards are provided in your black supply tote so voters can complete the registration form while standing in line. The City Clerk s Office has supplied each polling location with laminated, highlighted voter registration application templates to help identify the sections that absolutely must be completed for a valid registration. Voter registration forms need to be legible so the voters are registered at the correct address, with their names spelled correctly. The sections marked by dark arrows are sections that must be completed. The section marked by the light arrow is only required if it pertains. Voting Hours - 16 The check mark indicates that these sections must be completed by the election official.

48 Section 1 is pre-printed for the City of River Falls and Pierce/St Croix County. The circles on the far left side of section one are filled in manually by the voter. Section 2 requires a Wisconsin driver license number for any registrant with a Wisconsin driver license and the expiration date of that license. Voters unable or unwilling to provide their Wisconsin driver license number should be offered a provisional ballot. Only voters without a driver license may list their Wisconsin state ID card number (if applicable), or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Voters with an out-of-state driver license should not list their license number and only list the last four digits of their Social Security number. Voters who have no Wisconsin driver license, no Wisconsin state ID card, and no Social Security number check the box to the right. HAVA Checks Driver license numbers, ID card numbers, and Social Security numbers are verified behind the scenes in an interface between the Statewide Voter Registration System, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Social Security Administration. We refer to these verifications as HAVA Checks because they are done to comply with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). When a HAVA check results in not a match, the Clerk s Office follows up with the voter to correct any inaccurate information. Voting Hours - 17

49 Section 3 should list the voter s first and last name as it appears on the ID listed in section two, full middle name if possible, and the voter s date of birth. Make sure the year of birth is not listed as the current year. Otherwise, the voter would not be old enough to vote! Section 4 requires a City of River Falls residential address in a ward that votes at your polling place. Some of the township addresses surrounding the city limits of River Falls will have River Falls listed as the city with the same zip code as the City. This confuses voters when it is time to vote. They are not aware that they cannot vote in the City if they live in a township. This is why it is very important to check the street directory and refer to maps. If the address is not in your district, send the voter to the correct polling place. Section 5 is optional. In the example above, John Smith will be going to school in River Falls, but wants his mail to go to his PO Box in Green Bay. This is important if the Government Accountability Board or the Clerk s Office sends an election mailing to him. If he doesn t accept mail at his River Falls address and did not list a mailing address, the piece of mail would be returned to the Clerk s Office as Undeliverable and he would be marked as an inactive voter; as we are under the assumption that he no longer resides at that address. Voting Hours - 18

50 Section 6 is for voters who have changed their name. The City Clerk s Office will update their name in the Statewide Voter Registration System. Section 7 should list the voter s previous address, or at least as much of the address as he or she can remember. The Government Accountability Board will send notice to the proper authorities to cancel voter registration for out-of-state addresses. Section 8 has a map for homeless voters to draw a diagram of where they intend to return at the end of each day. Voters can express an interest in becoming an election official in this section. Section 8 also asks whether voters need an accommodation at their polling place, such as a Braille ballot, or a wheelchair. Section 9 must be completed. Here, the voter verifies that he or she is a United States citizen who is at least 18 years old. Section 10 is a voter certification that he or she is qualified to vote, has resided within the ward for at least 28 consecutive days prior to the election, and has not already voted in this election. The voter further certifies that the information on the voter registration form is true and correct, and that he or she is not ineligible to vote. Voting Hours - 19

51 John Smith Section 11 must be signed and dated by the voter. If the voter cannot sign his or her name, they must make their mark on the registration form or have an assistant sign and complete section 12, assistant signature and assistant address. The election official lists the voter slip number on the registration form in the section to the far right or at the very top of the Voter Registration Application. If a voter chooses to register but not vote on Election Day, no voter slip number will be listed. Section 12 is also used by the election officials to list what the voter used as proof of residence. This information is needed for the Clerk s Office to successfully process the application. You may use the abbreviations found on the proof of residence reference card in your voter registration manila pocket folder. The following items are acceptable forms of proof of residence: U Utility Bill, up to 90 days old Gas Electric Cable Landline phone Cellular phone Internet Cable Voting Hours - 20

52 W Wisconsin Driver License/Department of Transportation-issued ID Card, current and valid (not expired), showing the voter s name at the address listed on the registration form. B Bank or Credit Union Statement, showing the voter s name at the address listed on the registration form. A credit card statement is only acceptable if it is issued by a bank or credit union. T Tax Bill for the current year or preceding year s property taxes, showing the voter s name at the address listed on the registration form. R Residential Lease for a time frame that includes Election Day, showing the voter s name at the address listed on the registration form. P Paycheck showing the name at the address listed on the registration form. Voting Hours - 21

53 G Any Government Check showing the name at the address listed on the registration form. G Any Government Document showing the name at the address listed on the registration form. There a hundreds of documents that would qualify as government documents. The following list contains some examples: Automobile registration Wisconsin fishing license Wisconsin hunting license Wisconsin concealed weapons permit Court summons Ticket Citation Warrant Bicycle license registration Medicare statement Medicaid statement Social security statement Social security disability statement Social security disability denial letter SeniorCare statement BadgerCare statement Food Share WI statement Bartender license Any document issued by a University of Wisconsin school, including enrollment verification form Any document issued by a Wisconsin Technical College Voting Hours - 22

54 S Student ID issued by a college that includes photo, accompanied by a college fee statement issued within the last nine months. The fee statement must show the voter s local address. Proof of residence may be shown electronically. Election officials are not required to handle a voter s electronic device. Ask the voter to zoom in on the information you need to document, and to navigate their smart phone, laptop, or tablet for you. Observers may not handle the voter s electronic device and are not entitled to see proof of residence because the account number on proof of residence is confidential. Unacceptable Forms of Proof of Residence Insurance statement Hospital bill Magazine Expired driver license or ID card Business card Out-of-state driver license Passport Piece of mail addressed to the voter Birthday card from Grandma No Proof of Residence If an individual registering to vote cannot provide proof of residence, they cannot register to vote and, therefore, cannot vote. They do not qualify for a provisional ballot. Election Official Signature The election official must sign the registration form and indicate the ward number. Voting Hours - 23

55 Issuing Ballots The voter presents a voter slip to the election official issuing ballots. The official should ask if the voter prefers to vote a paper ballot or if they prefer to vote on the Edge touchscreen machine. Instructions and/or details are available for both machines and should be readily available for voter questions. Paper If the voter chooses to vote on a paper ballot, an official may have already marked the ballot with one set of initials. Do not put the final set of election official initials on the ballot until the voter hands you a voter slip. Adding the second set of initials only takes as long as it takes to say, Thank you for voting, and ensures that no voter will accidentally receive two valid ballots. If your polling location has more than one ballot style, the ballots will be different colors. The voter slip should have an indication as to which color ballot they should receive. If it does not, the officials at the poll book will need to look the voter up in the poll book and indicate the proper ballot. Edge Machine If the voter chooses to vote on the Edge machine, the official issuing ballots will hand the voter a laminated pink card that says Edge Voter. The voter will proceed to the Edge machine and hand the card to the official in charge of the Edge voting machine. If your polling location has more than one ballot style, the laminated cards will be different colors to match the color of the ballots and indicate the ward. The official issuing ballots will give the voter the proper colored card as indicated on the voter slip. All used voter slips are kept by the election officials to be returned to the Clerk s Office at the end of the night. The voter slips will be examined in the case of a recount. Voting Hours - 24

56 Voter Instructions Instruct the voter to complete the broken arrow pointing to the candidate of his or her choice. Ask the voter, Are you familiar with this type of ballot? Do not point to any candidate s name or any party on the ballot. Instead, point to the broken arrows on the How to Mark Your Ballot sign to demonstrate how to make selections on the ballot. When we have a double-sided ballot, remind the voter that the ballot is double-sided. If the voter chooses to write-in a candidate, he or she should connect the arrow pointing to write-in, and write in the name of the candidate. Be careful that your instructions are not interpreted as instructing the voter to vote for something or someone. Officials may not answer questions about candidates. If a voter asks for interpretation of a referendum, reference the posted legal notice. Hand the voter the initialed ballot. A voter may choose to use a secrecy sleeve to carry the ballot to the Eagle optical machine when they are finished voting. The secrecy sleeve should not be fed into the machine or the machine will jam. Once the election official issues a ballot to the voter, the election official should not, under any circumstance, handle the ballot unless requested to do so by the voter. Ballot Security Several years ago, election officials pre-initialed a stack of ballots at a polling place in a Wisconsin community. This polling place needed to be temporarily evacuated that day because of a fire alarm. The election officials left the voting materials behind as they evacuated the building (not a recommended practice). While the election officials were waiting outside of the building, several voters helped themselves to a ballot and fed the ballot through the tabulator. At the end of the night, the election officials discovered that they had several more ballots than voters. There was no way to identify which ballots should not have been counted because all ballots were pre-initialed! After the election, there had to be a draw-down of ballots; the excess number of ballots was drawn at random, and the votes on those ballots were subtracted from the final tally. Voting Hours - 25

57 Direct the voter to the voting booth. Election officials should try to be no closer than 5 feet from the Eagle voting machine and voting booths, unless assisting a voter. Do not escort the voter to the booth and/or voting machine unless he or she asks for assistance. After marking the ballot, the voter should go directly to the Eagle voting machine. The machine is ready to receive the next ballot as soon as the green light illuminates on the front panel. The ballot can be inserted in any orientation (top, bottom, front, or back). The machine will pull in the ballot, count it, and deposit the ballot in one of its locked compartments. The machine will jam if the voter does not release the ballot when feeding it into the machine. Once the voting machine accepts the ballot, the secrecy sleeve should be left on top of the machine. Do not stand this close to the machine! Try to stay approximately 5 feet away to give voters privacy! Voting Hours - 26

58 Ballot Returned to the Voter The Eagle voting machine returns blank or overvoted ballots to the voter, providing an opportunity to mark the ballot or obtain a replacement ballot. The voter removes the ballot from the machine, and the election official discreetly reads the voting machine printout message to the voter. Do not grab the ballot from the voter. If the voter insists on casting this ballot, the official presses the 3 key through the small hole in the back of the machine to override the ballot, and documents the override on the Incident Log. Replacement Ballots If a voter makes a mistake and needs another ballot, do not assign a new voter slip number. The voter will need to partially tear the spoiled ballot and deposit it in the enveloped labeled discarded ballots. Do not mark the replacement ballot any differently than any other ballot you issue, but record second ballot in the notes section of the poll book, next to the voter s name. Follow the same procedure if the voter needs a third ballot, and record third ballot in the poll book. You may issue not more than two replacement ballots to a single voter. In other words, three ballots, and the voter is out of replacement ballots. Voting Hours - 27 Tabulator Eagle Machine Testing Testing How do we know that the tabulator is counting the ballots How do correctly? we know that the Eagle machine is counting the ballots correctly? Once the ballots are printed, Once the the ballots City are Clerk s printed, Office the City holds Clerk s a public Office holds test of a public the electronic test of the voting electronic equipment voting equipment (tabulators (Eagle and AutoMarks). Edge machines). Election Officials officials may participate in in this process this event. and The test public the test is tabulators noticed in the as newspaper, part of their hands-on members tabulator of the public training. may come This to observe public the test process. is noticed in the newspaper, and at times Each machine is tested to members read the ballots of the for public its will come polling to place observe destination. the process. Machines are tested for each individual candidate, overvotes, tabulator under-votes, is tested write-in to Each read votes, the and ballots cross-party for its votes. polling place destination. Tabulators The Clerk s Office are tested has for each documented individual the machine candidate, straight serial number, party memory votes, overvotes, under-votes, write- pack seal number, and machine door seal number on your in votes, and cross-party Inspectors Statement. It is votes. important that you verify these seal numbers to prove The that individuals nobody has tampered testing your with the tabulator election have equipment documented since its public the test. tabulator serial number, prom pack seal number, and tabulator door seal number on your Inspectors Statement. It is important that you verify these seal numbers to prove that nobody has tampered with the election equipment since its public test.

59 Party Preference For a Fall Partisan Primary, tell the voter to select a party at the top of the ballot and to vote within that party only. Selecting a party on the Partisan Primary ballot instructs the voting machine to count the votes within that party in the case of cross-party voting. Otherwise, if a party is not chosen, voting in more than one party for this primary would invalidate the ballot, and no votes would be counted. Assisting Voters Voters who are unable to mark or read a ballot on their own are not required to use the Edge Handicap Accessible Touchscreen Machine. Voters may choose to have someone assist them in marking the ballot. The voter can choose an election official or another individual to assist him or her, and does not need to justify the need for assistance. The person assisting the voter does not need to be an eligible voter; an 8-year-old child could assist in marking the ballot. However, the person providing assistance cannot be a candidate, the voter s employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union that represents the voter. When a voter receives assistance in marking the ballot, the name and address of the individual providing assistance is recorded in the poll book (even if an election official provides assistance). The person assisting the voter must sign his or her name on ballot under certification of elector assistance. Sample Poll List Notes Ward Name and Address Voter # Assisted by WD1 STANTON, Elizabeth Cady 12 Lullabelle Bechtol 2100 Election Drive 2104 Election Dr. River Falls, WI DJS EMB Lullabelle Bechtol Voting Hours - 28

60 Edge Handicap Accessible Touchscreen Voting Machine Any elector may use the Edge Machine. This machine is an electronic touchscreen machine that records a ballot electronically. It also enables the sight impaired to cast a ballot. Voters may make their selection by using the touch screen or Braille keypad. Headphones are provided for voters using the Braille keypad. The headphones should be readily available if not plugged in throughout the day. The Edge voting machine will not allow over-votes, and will provide the voter with a summary of his or her selections before recording the ballot. Voters may vote for write-in candidates when using the Edge voting machine. Once the voter decides to Cast Ballot, their vote is recorded and there is no way to void that ballot. They may not obtain another ballot if they feel they made a mistake. Election officials should be available to answer questions about the Edge voting machine, but should not be involved in the vote selection process. Election officials should not hover over voters using the Edge. Green laminated instructional and informational cards are available for election officials and voters to reference when using the Edge voting machine. The handicap accessible machine is required by federal law and is an important part of making our polling places completely accessible to voters. The City of River Falls wants to be sure all our polling places are accessible to voters and ensure that all citizens have an opportunity to cast their ballot. Election officials should never force voters to use the Edge voting machine. Voting Hours - 29

61 Fostering Accessibility Accessibility does not stop at the Edge Handicap Accessible Touchscreen Voting Machine. Election officials play a vital role in making the polling place welcome and accessible to all voters. Here are some guidelines from the National Organization on Disability: Be aware that federal law allows voters to receive assistance in the voting booth. Remember, all voters deserve courteous attention in exercising their right to vote. Be considerate of the extra time it might take for a person with a disability or an elderly person to mark their ballot. Give unhurried attention to a person who has difficulty speaking. Speak directly to the person who has a disability, rather than speaking only to the companion who may be accompanying him or her. Speak calmly, slowly, and directly to a person who is hard of hearing. Your facial expressions, gestures and body movements help in understanding. Don t shout or speak in the person s ear. If full understanding is doubtful, try writing a note. Before pushing someone in a wheelchair, ask if you may do so and how you should proceed. Greet a person who is visually impaired by letting them know who and where you are. When offering walking assistance, allow the person to take your arm and tell him or her if you are approaching steps or inclines, or are turning right or left. Be aware that animals that assist people with disabilities must be admitted into all buildings. Such animals are highly trained and need no special care other than that provided by the owner. Voting Hours - 30

62 Curbside Voting Voters may request to receive their ballot at the curb of the polling place if unable to enter the polling place. An election official announces the voter s name and the fact that the voter has asked to receive a curbside ballot. The appropriate voter slip number is recorded in the poll book, with a notation, ballot received at the door. The curbside voter does not sign the poll book. Two election officials carry the ballot, ballot marking pen, and a secrecy sleeve to the voter. Once the voter has finished marking the ballot and places the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, the election officials carry the ballot back into the polling place. One of the election officials announces, I have a ballot offered by (name of voter). Does anyone object to the reception of this ballot? If someone does object, follow the challenge process. Otherwise, the ballot is immediately fed through the Eagle machine. The event is recorded on the Incident Log and initialed by both election officials involved in the process. Ballot received at the door 15 Frequently Asked Questions: Can curbside voting be used if the elector also needs to register to vote? Yes, the elector can both register and vote at the curb. Can the election officials take a ballot to someone who lives nearby but cannot make it to the polls? No. Curbside voting is only available at the curb of the polling place. Voting Hours - 31

63 Absentee Ballot Deliveries Absentee ballots can be processed at any time during the day. The Clerk s Office will deliver absentee ballots and a chain-of-custody form to your polling place by noon in a rolling black suitcase sealed with a numbered, tamper-evident seal. When accepting the absentee ballot delivery, verify that the rolling black suitcase is labeled for your polling place, and that the seal number on the suitcase matches the seal number indicated on the absentee chain-of-custody presented by the Clerk s Office. If the seal is broken or the seal numbers do not match, document this on your Incident Log. Sign the absentee ballot chain-of-custody and indicate the time of delivery on the form. The chain-of-custody form can be placed in the large white envelope for used absentee certificate envelopes or the Clerk s Office will take it back to City Hall. Document the absentee ballot delivery on your Incident Log. Processing Absentee Ballots Check the ward number on each absentee certificate envelope to verify that the ballots are at the correct polling place. If a ballot was delivered to the wrong polling place, record this on your Incident Log and call the Clerk s Office at or The label on each absentee ballot certificate identifies the ward number above the voter s name. Voting Hours - 32

64 ABSENTEE CERTIFICATE Voter: Complete the information below and sign the certification in the presence of a witness who must also sign. Date of Election (month, day, year) County Official Use Only: Affix label here Name, Address, Ward # Label Municipality (check type and list name) Town Village City of Name (Last, First, Middle) including suffix Street Address include street number or fire number and name of street, or rural route and box number Ward # City, State, Zip CERTIFICATION OF VOTER I certify, subject to the penalties of s.12.60(1)(b), Wis. Stats., for false statements, that I am a resident of the ward of the municipality in the county of the state of Wisconsin indicated above, and am entitled to vote in the ward at the election indicated above; that I am not voting at any other location in this election; that I am unable or unwilling to appear at the polling place in the ward on election day, or I have changed my residence within the state from one ward to another within 10 days before the election. I certify that I exhibited the enclosed ballot, unmarked, to the witness, that I then in the presence of the witness and in the presence of no other person marked the ballot and enclosed and sealed the ballot in this envelope in a manner that no one but myself and any person providing assistance under s.6.87(5), Wis. Stats., if I requested assistance, could know how I voted. I further certify my birth date is, (to be filled in by military and overseas electors) Voter s Signature Signature of Voter CERTIFICATION OF WITNESS I, the undersigned witness, subject to the penalties of s.12.60(1)(b), Wis. Stats., for false statements, certify that I am an adult U.S. Citizen and that the above statements are true and the voting procedure was executed as stated. I am not a candidate for any office on the enclosed ballot (except in the case of an incumbent municipal clerk). Signature I did not solicit or advise of the Witness elector to vote for or against any candidate or measure. Signature of Witness (who is an adult U.S. Citizen) Address of Witness Address of Witness (include street number or fire number and street, or rural route and box number, municipality, state and zip code) EB-122 (Rev. 9/2007) The information on this form is required by Ss.6.22(2)(b), 6.24(7), and 6.87(2), Wis. Stats. Make sure certificate envelopes are sealed. If an envelope is not sealed, or it is evident that the envelope had been opened and resealed, the absentee ballot must be rejected. Do not assign a voter slip number. Do not open the envelope. Set aside the unsealed/resealed envelope for rejection. Check for the voter and witness signatures. The voter must sign (or make his or her mark) on the certificate envelope, and obtain the signature of a witness who certifies that he or she is an adult U.S. Citizen. If either of these signatures is missing, the absentee ballot must be rejected. Do not assign a voter slip number. Do not open the envelope. Set aside the unsigned envelope for rejection. Announce the absentee voter s name and address. Observers must be able to hear, but may not touch any of the ballots or certificate envelopes. Voting Hours - 33

65 Find voter on the poll list. The address of the voter on the certificate must match the address listed for that voter on the poll list (or the supplemental poll list). If you cannot find the voter on the poll list, check the street directory to determine whether the ballot has been delivered to the proper polling location. Also check the back of the envelope for documentation from the Clerk s Office that the voter registered to vote in the Clerk s Office after the close of registration. If a voter other than a military voter crossed out the address on the absentee certificate label and wrote in an address at which he or she is not registered to vote, or if the ballot is at the correct polling place but the Clerk s Office cannot verify that the voter registered to vote at this address, the absentee ballot must be rejected. Do not assign a voter slip number. Do not open the envelope. Set aside the envelope for rejection. If the voter has already voted, the absentee ballot must be rejected. Do not assign a voter slip number. Do not open the envelope. Set aside the envelope for rejection. Carefully open the envelope. Try to avoid tearing the ballot when opening the envelope. If the ballot is torn, it will need to be duplicated because torn ballots can jam in the voting machine. Remove ballot. Protect the secrecy of the ballot. Once the ballot is out of the envelope, there should be no way to associate the voter s name with the ballot. If the envelope contains two marked ballots, both ballots must be rejected. If you find more than one marked ballot in an envelope, reseal the envelope with tape. Do not assign a voter slip number. Set aside for rejection. Voting Hours - 34

66 Assign a voter slip number. If the voter s name is on the poll list and the voter has not already voted, assign the absentee voter the next sequential voter slip number for that ward. Write voter slip number in the poll book and on absentee envelope label. When recording the voter slip number, write the number followed by the letter A (for absentee) in red ink to indicate that the elector voted absentee. SAMPLE POLL LIST Names beginning with the letter [C] Absentee WD MMSD CATT, Carrie Chapman 55 A Ballot Way ALD:ALD16 CONG: CG02 USCH:US3269 ASSM: AS81 River Falls, WI lllll lllllllll lllllllll lll Check certificate for witness address. If the witness address is missing, make a note on the Incident Log. For example, Voter 55A absentee certificate missing witness address. The witness address may be located in another state, or even in another country. The witness must be a U.S. citizen, but does not need to reside in the United States. Place empty certificate envelope in large white used certificate envelope. Unfold and examine ballots. Unfold at least three different absentee voters ballots at once, to help protect the secrecy of their individual votes. Ballots marked with ballpoint pen will need to be remade. Check ballots for initials of Clerk. Without examining which candidates the voters selected, check for the Clerk s initials (mlw) under absent elector s ballot issued by. If the initials are missing, the ballot is still processed. However, make a note in the Incident Log, such as, Absentee ballot missing Clerk s initials. Again, there is no voter name or voter slip number associated with the ballot. Ward 108 mlw Voting Hours - 35

67 Frequently Asked Question Why can t we use the override key if the ballot obviously contains an overvote? The voting machine will pick up any miniscule mark in one of the arrows. If the ballot is overridden, the machine may be disregarding more contests than you realize. By duplicating the ballot, you are ensuring that the voter s intent is counted by the machine. Watch for absentee ballots marked with ballpoint pens. The tabulator may not read these ballots correctly. If a ballot is marked with a ballpoint pen, set it aside to be duplicated. Watch for creatively marked ballots. If the voter circled, underlined, crossed out, or erased marks on the ballot, set it aside to be duplicated. Feed ballots through the voting machine. Wait for the green light on the front of the machine to illuminate before inserting each ballot. Do not override any over-voted absentee ballots unless every single office is an overvote. If the machine spits out an absentee ballot that is over-voted, the ballot needs to be duplicated. Security ID does not match! Wrong ballot type for this precinct This machine message indicates that the voter was given the wrong ballot header code. You will need to duplicate this ballot. Do not use the override key. Voting Hours - 36

68 Rejected Absentee Ballots Absentee ballots are rejected for the following reasons: No voter signature or witness signature on certificate envelope (voter may correct up to 8pm) Voter is deceased. Voter is not registered to vote at address listed on certificate envelope. Certificate envelope is not sealed, or has been opened and resealed. Elector has already voted. Absentee ballot was never requested (indicated by a note from Clerk s Office). Absentee envelope contained two marked ballots. When an absentee ballot is rejected, affix a Rejected Ballot label to the envelope and complete. Voter is not assigned a voter slip number. Place the unopened absentee certificate envelope in the large brown envelope for rejected absentee ballots. Note the rejected absentee ballot, rejected number, and reason for rejection on the Incident Log. Incident Number Description of Incident 8 Absentee ballot of Donna Hardy rejected: certificate missing voter signature. Ballots that must be Duplicated Officials will need to duplicate ballots for the following reasons: Absentee ballot contains an over-vote (votes for more than one candidate for the same office). Absentee voter marked ballot with ballpoint pen. Voter marked ballot by circling or underlining selections. Absentee voter crossed out a selection on ballot. Absentee voter had been issued the wrong ballot header code for your ward. Time Incident Occurred 3:15 a.m. p.m. Election Official Initials SAM Absentee voter returned a paper ballot (sent from the Clerk s Office via ). Voting Hours - 37

69 Duplicating Ballots Preserve the original ballot submitted by the voter so it can be compared to the duplicated ballot in the case of a recount. It is not acceptable to take a ballot marking pen and make marks on the ballot submitted by the voter. Treat the original ballot marked by the voter as a legal record. Two election officials are involved in the ballot duplication process. Duplicated ballots are numbered sequentially. The first ballot to be duplicated is labeled Original Ballot #1, and the corresponding remade ballot is labeled Duplicate Ballot #1. Original Ballot labels can be found attached to the brown Duplicated Ballots envelope in the Chief s supplies. The completed Original Ballot label goes on the back of the voter s original voted ballot. Duplicate Ballot #, the next sequential duplicate number, and the initials of two inspectors who witnessed the duplication is handwritten on the back of the duplicated ballot that can go through the Eagle voting machine. Do not use labels for discarded ballots (situations where a voter requests a second or third ballot) or for any ballot that will be run through the Eagle voting machine. If the ballot is two-sided, affix the label in such a way that they do not cover the header code barcode, initials on the ballot, or any of the arrows on the ballot. Use of the Original Ballot labels is optional. The information can be handwritten on the back of the ballot instead of using the label. If an absentee ballot was marked with ballpoint pen, the Election Officials need to remake the ballot. Never mark over the marks the voter made on the ballot! Never erase anything on the voter s ballot, either. Treat it as a legal record. Voting Hours - 38

70 If the original ballot clearly contains an over-vote, remake the ballot for every office except the over-voted office. Election officials will often need to determine voter intent. The majority of election officials will need to agree on the voter s intent for the remade ballot. If voter intent cannot be determined, remake the ballot for every office but the office for which voter intent cannot be determined. The remade ballot is fed through the voting machine. The original ballot is placed in the large brown envelope labeled, Duplicated Ballots and/or Discarded/Damaged Ballots. Do not tear or mark the ballot in any way. Note all remade ballots on your Incident Log. Again, the voter s name and voter slip number are not associated with the remade ballot number. For example: Incident Number Description of Incident Remade Ballot #1 voter intent could not be determined for one office. Remade Ballot #2 remade omitting over-voted office Remade Ballot #4 voter crossed out initial selection; determined voter intent. 37 Remade Ballot #5 voter used ballpoint pen. 38 Remade Ballot #6 wrong ballot style issued to voter. Time Incident Occurred 5:15 a.m. p.m. 5:20 a.m. p.m. 5:30 a.m. p.m. 5:35 a.m. p.m. 5:40 a.m. p.m. Election Official Initials SAM MRB SAM MRB SAM MRB SAM MRB SAM MRB Remade ballots should never be associated with a voter name or voter slip number! Voting Hours - 39

71 Provisional Voting Provisional ballots are issued in two circumstances only. There are no other situations where provisional voting is an option. 1. POR Required on poll list, but voter has no proof of residence. A first-time Wisconsin voter who registers to vote by mail must provide proof of residence. If proof of residence does not accompany the registration form, the poll list indicates POR Required under the signature box next to the voter s name on the poll list. The voter must provide an acceptable form of proof of residence, other than a residential lease, at the polls. (If the elector has a residential lease for proof of residence, he or she will need to complete a new registration form at the polls). The Clerk s Office will have sent a notice to the elector, informing him or her of the need to show proof of residence at the polls. Record what the voter used as proof of residence under the tab in your poll book marked Proof of Residence Verification Sheet so the POR Required watermark can be removed from the poll list for future elections. If this voter does not provide proof of residence, he or she can come back to the polling place to provide proof of residence and vote before 8 p.m. or vote a provisional ballot and provide proof of residence to the City Clerk by 4 p.m. the Friday of election week. 2. New registrant unable to provide WI driver license number. Voters completing the voter registration application form must list their Wisconsin driver license number if they have a current and valid Wisconsin driver license. Voters who have a Wisconsin driver license but are unable or unwilling to put that number on the registration form can either come back to the polling place with that number to register and vote by 8 p.m. or vote a provisional ballot and give their Wisconsin driver license number to the City Clerk (in person or via phone, fax or ) no later than 4 p.m. the Friday after Election Day. Voting Hours - 40

72 Issuing Provisional Ballots Provisional voting materials can be found in the provisional ballot accordion folder in your black supply tote. Provisional materials are blue: instructional handouts for provisional voters, certificate envelopes for each provisional ballot, and a provisional ballot carrier envelope. Do not issue a voter slip number to provisional voters. Instead, issue a provisional voter number. The first provisional voter receives number PV-1. The second provisional voter receives number PV-2. Record PV number on poll list, along with reason ballot is provisional. For example: Sample Poll List WD MMSD PAUL, Alice PV Automark Road proof of residence POR Required ALD:ALD16 CONG: CG02 USCH:US3269 ASSM: AS81 River Falls, WI llllllllllll lll llllllllllll Sample Poll List for New Registration/Change of Address Please Print Last Name First Name Street Address 1. Katharine Ludington 301 Registration Lane Voter Slip # PV-2 WI DL Signature K Ludgn Write Section 6.97 and write PV number on back of the ballot and on certificate envelope. Provisional ballots are not counted until the required information or documentation has been provided to either the election official by the close of the polls, or to the municipal clerk at 4:00 p.m. the Friday after the election. Ballots are marked so they can be identified if inserted in the voting machine in error. Voting Hours - 41

73 Check the type of required information on the envelope (proof of residence or WI driver license). Voter completes certificate envelope in the presence of at least one election official. The voter must include his or her name, complete address, date of birth, citizenship, type of election, date, and signature. Voter marks ballot in voting booth. After voting, the voter places the ballot in the envelope, seals the envelope, and brings it back to the election official. The voter and the election official sign the envelope certificate. Place envelope in the large blue provisional ballot envelope. Complete the certificate on the front of this envelope. This envelope will be returned to the Clerk s Office at the end of the night. Give elector the handout that describes the provisional voting procedure. Record incident on provisional ballot reporting form. For example: Name of Voter PV # Peggy Smith 1 Fred Jones 2 Absentee Elector or In Person In Person In Person Reason for Issuing Page on Poll List POR 54 Missing Info Provided (initial) Date provided missing info Voter # Issued after info provided WI DL 32 BAW 2/21/ Voting Hours - 42

74 Provisional Voter Returns If a provisional voter returns to the polling place with their missing proof of residence or Wisconsin driver license number before 8 p.m., their ballot can be counted at the polls. Issue a voter slip number at this point, and record the voter slip number on the poll list. If the voter is in a hurry, he or she can insert the ballot marked earlier into the voting machine, but that ballot has a provisional voter number on the back and, therefore, is not a secret vote. It is best to issue a new ballot to the voter and write voter returned on the voter s provisional certificate envelope. Record the incident on the Incident Log. Incident Number Description of Incident 45 Provisional Voter #1 returned with proof of residence Time Incident Occurred Election Official Initials a.m. 7 p.m. MRB Provisional Voter Provides Information to Clerk If a provisional voter provides his or her missing information or documentation to the Clerk s Office by 4 p.m. the Friday of election week, his or her vote will be counted at the Board of Canvassers. Provisional ballots cannot be issued in the following circumstances: Elector is registering to vote at the polls, but does not have an acceptable form of proof of residence. (This voter cannot register or vote unless he or she returns to the polls with an acceptable form of proof of residence.) Elector registering to vote at the polls does not hold a current and valid Wisconsin driver license number, has a Wisconsin state ID card or Social Security number, but is unable or unwilling to provide that number. (This voter cannot register or vote unless he or she returns to the polls with the appropriate identifying number). Voting Hours - 43

75 Confidential Voters Victims of domestic abuse may register as confidential voters when they submit an affidavit signed by a sheriff or the Chief of Police to the City Clerk s Office. The names and addresses of such voters are not disclosed on the poll lists. Confidential voters can register in the Clerk s Office only. A confidential voter will present a confidential voter card to the election officials instead of providing a name and address. The confidential voter number listed on the card presented by the voter will match the confidential voter number identified at the end of your poll list, just prior to the certification page at the end of the poll list. Assign a voter slip number and write the voter slip number on the confidential voter page of the poll list. This is not an event to document on the Incident Log. Military Voters Military voters are given special privileges. You can identify military absentee ballots by their white certificate envelopes with red print, or by the word military under the election date on their absentee ballot label. If a military absentee voter s name is not on the poll list, record the name and address, voter slip number, and M on the supplemental poll list. Military electors are not required to register to vote. Voting Hours - 44

76 Homeless Voters In order to register to vote, an elector must be a U.S. citizen, age 18 or older, and a resident of River Falls for at least 28 consecutive days with an identifiable location to which they intend to return at the end of each day. This location may be a homeless shelter, a park bench, or other location within your district. Homeless individuals can register to vote and are listed on the poll list at the corner of the two streets they identified in the diagram on their voter registration form. If registering to vote on Election Day, the elector needs to produce proof of residence. This may be a letter from a shelter for the homeless or from a private or public social service organization providing services for homeless individuals. The proof of residence letter should be on letterhead and signed by a person affiliated with the organization. Voting Hours - 45

77 Absentee Provisional Voters If the poll list indicates that proof of residence is required for an absentee voter ( POR Required watermark appears under signature section of poll list), check for proof of residence inside the absentee ballot envelope. Proof of residence found within the absentee envelope should be documented on the poll list. Process the absentee ballot like any other absentee. If the absentee certificate envelope does not contain proof of residence, the absentee ballot becomes a provisional ballot. Re-seal the certificate envelope and place it in a provisional envelope. Do not assign a voter slip number. Assign a provisional voter number. Document the provisional voter number on poll list and Incident Log. Incident Number Description of Incident 47 Provisional Voter #3 absentee required proof of residence, no proof of residence enclosed. Time Incident Occurred Election Official Initials a.m. 7:15 p.m. MRB Presidential Ballots Voters who move to Wisconsin less than 28 days before a Presidential Election may register to vote for President only. The elector completes a presidential ballot application, voter registration cancellation form, and voter registration application. They also present proof of residence. Write Presidential Ballot on the voter registration form, and on the supplemental poll list. In your ballot supply, you will find paper ballots listing only the office of President. Initial the ballot as you would any other ballot. Instruct the voter to insert the paper ballot into the wooden ballot box provided for Presidential Elections. Election officials will need to duplicate this ballot onto an official ballot or be hand-counted at the end of the evening. Voting Hours - 46

78 Federal Ballots United States citizens who have moved outside of the country indefinitely may vote from their last U.S. address for federal offices only. These voters are sent a paper ballot listing only federal offices. Many of the overseas ballots are sent to the voters via , so the absentee certificate will be affixed to a regular business-sized envelope. The certificate requires the signature of the voter and a witness who is a United States citizen. The witness mailing address may be overseas or within the United States. Election officials should duplicate these paper ballots onto official ballots to be fed through the voting machine or be hand-counted at the end of the evening. Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWAB) Military voters and registered overseas voters who apply for an absentee ballot may send the City Clerk s Office a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) accompanied by a signed certification statement. Overseas voters often send these ballots at the same time they request an absentee ballot, just in case the official ballot does not reach the Clerk s Office by Election Day. If you receive an official ballot from the military or registered voter, process the official ballot and reject the FWAB. If the FWAB is the only ballot you receive from a military or registered voter, remake the FWAB onto an official ballot to be fed through the Eagle voting machine or hand count at the end of the evening. All ballots that will be hand counted at the end of the evening should be kept secure in a ballot box or the emergency bin of the Eagle voting machine. Voting Hours - 47

79 Long Lines For larger elections, the lines at your polling place may become congested. Splitting the poll lists into smaller sections will help check-in more voters. An election official should greet voters at the door or in line to check whether they are pre-registered. Clipboards are available to allow voters to fill out the registration form while they wait in the voter registration line. Voters who do not wish to wait for a voting booth are welcome to mark their ballot at a table, or even against the wall. If you need additional assistance, call the Clerk s Office at or Electioneering Prohibited Electioneering is prohibited on public property within 100 feet of any entrance to the polling place. There is an exemption for bumper stickers on motor vehicles, unless it appears that the primary purpose of parking the vehicle within 100 feet of the polling place is to influence voting. Election officials with political bumper stickers who will be parking at the polling location are encouraged to back into their parking stalls and be sure their vehicle is more than 100 feet from the entrance. Electioneering is allowed on private property, even within a 100 foot radius of the polling place. However, individuals engaged in activity that disrupts the orderly conduct of the election may be arrested under the provisions of State Statutes 5.35(5) and 7.37(2). Political Pins Voters may wear political pins and t-shirts at the polls if they are only at the polls long enough to vote. If a voter begins flaunting his or her political pin, however, he or she must be asked to leave the polls. Voting Hours - 48

80 Media Members of the media must identify themselves to the chief inspector when arriving at the polling place. The media may take pictures or video at the polls if the chief inspector and any voters who may be photographed do not object. The media may not record or photograph how someone is voting. Members of the media may not interact with voters inside the polling place. Record any visits from the media on your Incident Log. If the presence of media is disruptive to the voting process, the chief inspector may direct them to leave. Exit Polls Wisconsin law permits exit polls as long as they do not interfere with the orderly conduct of the election. If a news organization notifies the Clerk of an exit poll prior to the election, the Clerk will inform the chief inspector. The exit poll should take place outside of the polling place. Individuals conducting the exit poll may not address voters as they enter the polling place, and may not imply to voters that the exit poll is mandatory. If voters complain about the existence of an exit poll, inform them that they are not required to participate in the exit poll. The chief inspector needs to deal directly with a member of the media who is harassing voters as they enter or leave the polling place. Political Conversation Prohibited Do not permit candidates or politics to be discussed in the voting area. Election officials must be very careful to avoid even the perception that they are not impartial. Voting Hours - 49

81 Full Ballot Box The Eagle machine will begin to jam if the ballot compartments are full. Ballots do not fall into the machine in a neat and orderly fashion, so check the ballot bins occasionally, especially in a larger election. Before opening the voting machine, announce that you are checking whether the ballot box is full so the machine does not jam. Two election officials open the rear and side doors on the voting machine and either straighten the ballots or remove the ballots and secure them in an interim ballot bag. Announce that you are removing ballots that were already counted because the ballot box is full. Record the event on your Incident Log, along with the initials of both election officials involved in opening the ballot box. Seal the interim ballot bag with one of the red and white security seals found in the white supply box and place in a secure location under the watchful eyes of election officials and out of the reach of any observers or voters. Document this on your Incident Log. Incident Number Description of Incident Opened ballot box to check whether it was full. Straightened voted ballots in box. Opened ballot box to check whether it was full. Removed ballots and secured in ballot bag. Sealed bag with security seal and placed bag under the feet of the official at the voter registration table. Time Incident Occurred a.m. 1 p.m. a.m. 3 p.m. Election Official Initials MRB SAM MRB SAM This looks suspicious to voters! Be sure to document any time you touch a voted ballot! At the close of the election, remove the ballots from the ballot bag and find ballots with write-in names/issues. Place ballots back in ballot bag, seal bag, and have three, five, or seven officials sign the certification statement on the bag. Voting Hours - 50

82 Running Out of Ballots The number of ballots at your polling location is based on an educated guess made by the City Clerk s Office based on the type of election, voter turnout for similar elections held in that district, new construction, number of permanent absentee voters in that ward, and contested races on the ballot. Sometimes the voters surprise us, and turnout is higher than we anticipated. Call the Clerk s Office ( or ) at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. with your voter turnout. Typically, the number of voters you have had by 11 a.m. will double by 4 p.m., and the number of voters you have had by 4 p.m. will double by 8 p.m. The Clerk s Office looks at your voter turnout during the day to predict whether additional ballots should be delivered to your polling place. Do not wait until you are out of ballots to notify the Clerk s Office. If you first notify the Clerk that you are running out of ballots when you are down to one ballot or even ten ballots, the Clerk s Office will not be able to reach your polling place before you completely run out of ballots. If you run out of ballots before more are delivered, do not turn voters away from the polls. Where possible, make photocopies of the ballot (the Clerk s Office will reimburse you for the copies). Do not allow paper ballots to be fed into the voting machine. Open the emergency bin. Use the voting machine door key to unlock the front door of the voting machine. Drop the slot cover. Close and relock the door. Put up your sign that says, Emergency bin in use. When official ballots are delivered to your polling place election officials will need to duplicate the paper ballots or hand count them at the end of the evening. Voting Hours - 51

83 Ballots Jamming in Eagle Machine The following scenarios may cause ballots to jam in the machine: Ballot bin may be full. Remove voted ballots from ballot bin, secure in interim ballot bag, and record on Incident Log. The printer may not have cut these ballots perfectly square. Try a ballot from another ballot package. Ballot may be misaligned with the paper feed. Voter may be feeding a secrecy sleeve or regular paper into the machine. Ballot may be wrinkled or torn. Issue a second ballot or, if ballot is an absentee, duplicate on a new, flat ballot. On a rainy Election Day, ballots held against umbrellas or rain coats will become wet, and may shred in the machine. Retrieving Jammed Ballots from Eagle Machine If a ballot gets stuck in the voting machine, gently lift the machine off the blue cart. Locate the stuck ballot. Steadily pull the ballot through the bottom of the machine. Ballots that are sticking out of the bottom of the machine have already been counted, unless the machine tape tells you otherwise. Deposit the retrieved ballot into the proper slot on top of the machine cart so it falls underneath where the machine sits. Secure the machine back on top of the blue cart. Record on Incident Log. Advise voters to keep ballots away from wet raincoats and umbrellas. Voting Hours - 52

84 Using the Emergency Bin If you are unable to clear a paper jam, or if the machine becomes inoperable, call the Clerk s Office at Announce to the voters that you are waiting for a Clerk s Office technician, will be using the emergency bin in the meantime, and that all ballots will be fed through the machine once the problem is resolved. Use the machine keys to unlock and open the front door of the blue cart. Drop the slot cover. Insert ballots. Tape the emergency bin sign over Insert ballot here on the voting machine. Make a note of the event on your Incident Log. The Clerk s Office will either clear the paper jam or transfer your memory pack into another machine. Record the outcome on your Incident Log. Two election officials will feed ballots into the voting machine. Voting Hours - 53

85 Voting Machine Messages Hand the voter a secrecy sleeve. The voter should pull the ballot out with both hands and put it in the secrecy sleeve until an inspector is able to read the voting machine message that prints. Security ID Does Not Match or Wrong Ballot Type for this Precinct. Check your ballots, you may have the wrong ballots. Call the Clerk s Office immediately ( or ). If you receive this message for an absentee, duplicate the ballot. Record on Incident Log. Startbar Detect or Last Position Mismatch. Voter should pull out the ballot and reinsert it in another orientation (upside down or backwards). If the machine still rejects the ballot, issue a new ballot. Remove Stuck Ballot. Voter hung on to the ballot while the machine tried to pull it in, and the ballot became stuck. Have the voter pull the ballot out, using both hands. When the green light illuminates in the front of the tabulator, have the voter reinsert his or her ballot, releasing the ballot as the machine starts to pull it in. Overvoted Ballot. Instruct the voter to remove the ballot using both hands. Discreetly read the message to the voter. Do not grab the ballot from the voter. Do not look at a voted ballot unless requested to do so by the voter. Issue the voter a second ballot. If voter insists on voting an over-voted ballot, you may use the #3 override button in the back of the machine. The voter should re-insert the ballot; the machine will throw the ballot back out. Do not remove the ballot from the machine. Press the #3 override key and the machine will take the ballot. Document any use of the override button. Voting Hours - 54

86 Unvoted Blank Ballot. Instruct the voter to remove the ballot using both hands. Discreetly read the message to the voter. Do not grab the ballot from the voter. Do not look at a ballot unless requested to do so by the voter. Issue the voter a second ballot. If voter chooses to not vote for any candidate on the ballot, you may use the #3 override button in the back of the tabulator. The voter should re-insert the ballot; the machine will throw the ballot back out. Do not remove the ballot from the machine. Press the #3 override key and the machine will take the ballot. Document any use of the override button. There is probably a ballot stuck in the ballot path. Turn off the power, remove the ballot, turn power back on, and feed the ballot again. Follow the steps the machine has printed for you. Unplug the machine (the memory pack will remember everything it has recorded). Carefully pull out the ballot. Plug in the machine. It will take 10 to 15 seconds for the machine to check all systems. Wait for the OK message and for the green light, then re-insert ballot. Record on Incident Log. Ballot Jammed Returning to Voter. Remove it and return to voter for correction. Ballot has not been processed!!! Have the voter pull the ballot out, using both hands. When the green light illuminates in the front of the tabulator, have the voter reinsert his or her ballot, releasing the ballot as the machine starts to pull it in. Ballot Appears to be Stuck in the Front or Rear Output Slot. It may be stuck or the bin may be full. Make sure the ballot has cleared the machine and is in the front bin. Ballot has been processed. Gently lift machine off the blue cart. Locate the stuck ballot. Steadily pull the ballot through the bottom of the tabulator. Deposit the retrieved ballot into the proper slot on top of the machine cart. Secure the machine back on top of the blue cart. Record on Incident Log. Voting Hours - 55

87 Changing the Paper Roll in the Eagle Voting Machine A pink stripe along the edge of the paper roll indicates that the roll is almost empty and should be replaced. There is a new paper roll in your white supply box. Use the red key to unlock and open the access door on the back of the machine. Do not unplug the machine. If the machine is printing, press and momentarily hold the print totals button. This will stop the printing. You will see the following message: Report printing stopped. OK to change paper roll now. Press print totals key to re-start printing. Tear off paper below the last message. Remove the paper roll by pressing out on both the metal tabs. Remove the old paper roll. Keep the white plastic spindle. Voting Hours - 56

88 Remove the gummed paper at the beginning of the new paper roll. Slip paper roll onto the plastic spindle. Press the metal tabs out while pushing in the new paper roll. The tabs will snap to hold the spindle. Make sure the paper is feeding from the bottom, out toward you and then over the top of the roll. Feed the paper into the paper entry channel until paper stops moving forward. Press the paper feed button until an inch or so of the paper appears above the top of the case. If you had interrupted printing to change the paper roll, press the print totals button to resume printing. Close and lock the rear access door. Tape the paper roll you have removed to the newly inserted paper roll. This provides a complete audit trail of the entire Election Day. Record this event on your Incident Log. Voting Hours - 57

89 Changing the Paper Roll in the Edge Voting Machine Follow the diagram below starting at the bottom of the bottom of the photograph. Paper should roll clockwise and start by going over the white bar, then under the black bar, then up and over the white bar, then under the silver bar, then over the black spool. A picture is supplied in your setup instructions. Voting Hours - 58

90 Election Observers Anyone other than a candidate on the ballot is allowed to be an observer at the polls, in the Clerk s Office, or at nursing homes and community-based residential facilities when voting is taking place. Election Day observation begins at 7 a.m. Observers must check-in with the chief inspector. The chief inspector instructs each observer to sign the observer log (found in the blue portfolio). The chief inspector attaches this observer log to the Inspectors Statement. The chief inspector gives each observer a yellow Wisconsin Election Observers Rules-ata-Glance brochure, a white brochure containing the text of Government Accountability Board Chapter 4, and an election observer name tag that must be worn. The chief inspector designates an observation area for observers, between six feet and twelve feet away from the poll list table, registration table, or absentee ballot processing table. Given the space constraints within the polling place, the chief inspector may limit the number of observers representing the same political party or candidate. Observers may not address the voters. All questions and challenges must be directed to the chief inspector. Observers are given only one warning for loud, boisterous, or disruptive behavior. If the observer does not heed the chief inspector s warning, the chief inspector instructs the observer to leave the polling place. If the observer refuses to leave, the chief inspector calls 911 to have the disruptive observer removed from the polling place. Voting Hours - 59

91 Observers must keep conversation to a minimum. Observers are only given one warning if they become disruptive to voters or election officials. Observers may never touch the poll list or official election documents. Observers may view the poll list as election officials turn the pages of the list, as long as time permits and the activity does not interfere with the voting process or distract the voters. Observers may not make a photocopy or take pictures of the poll lists on Election Day. Observers may not engage in electioneering. Observers may not wear clothing or buttons with the name or likeness of a candidate, party, or referendum group. Observers may not speak on cell phones inside the voting area. Text messaging is permitted. Observers may not use any video or still cameras inside the polling place while the polls are open. Observers may assist a voter in marking the ballot at the voter s request only. After the polls close, observers may remain, and candidates and observers may enter to observe the poll closing procedures. The chief inspector is in charge at the polling place. Never let an observer direct you, even if he or she claims to be an attorney. Some observers have told election officials, I just talked to the Government Accountability Board, and they agree with me. Don t accept this information secondhand. If an observer has you second-guessing a procedure, call the City Clerk s Office, the County Clerk s Office, or the Government Accountability Board (all programmed into your cell phone). Voting Hours - 60

92 Perspective for Working with Observers Madison, WI By Larry D. Nelson, P.E. Ihave long believed that solutions can be developed when both parties in contention try to understand the goals of the other. Do the Republican observers think that Madison election officers are cheating or least trying to skew the electoral process? If so, how are we cheating? Should we meet with them and discuss? Ward 77 had an observer for most of the day on the June 5 special election. We signed in the observer, who followed the election closely but was very discrete. She took a lot of notes. During the day, I tried to take the time we were shorthanded and very busy to explain what our staff was doing. That included the remaking of ballots, the tabulator failure, and the sorting and processing of absentee ballots. The observer seemed very appreciative and I got the impression that, while she had been briefed on what to observe, she didn t really understand the nuts and bolts of the process. I suspect that Madison poll workers, and probably all poll workers, are very attuned to politics have strong opinions regarding candidates and the positions of the respective political parties. Regardless, they make every attempt to be nonpartisan while conducting an election. When a voter leaves the polling place, we want them to feel that the process was fair, legal, and transparent. We should have the same goal for the Election observers. Voting Hours - 61

93 Challenging Voters Anyone eligible to vote in the state of Wisconsin including election officials, observers, and other voters may challenge an elector about whom they have reasonable cause to believe that the individual is not qualified to vote. Challenges cannot be based on looks, home foreclosure, or the language spoken by the voter. The challenger must have personal knowledge leading him or her to believe that the elector is not eligible to vote. The challenge documentation form can be found in your Election Day binder. This form walks you step-by-step through the challenge procedure. The chief inspector usually oversees the challenge process, but may delegate challenges to another election official. Record all challenges on the Incident Log. Move the challenge away from the check-in and registration tables, to avoid disrupting the voting process. Observers may make and observe challenges, but must direct all of their comments to the election official, not the elector. Challenger Oath Place the challenger under oath. If the challenger is not willing to take an oath, there is no challenge. The challenger affirms that he or she will fully and truthfully answer all questions, and that he or she is qualified to vote in the state of Wisconsin. The challenger then gives the reason for the challenge. The following are the only criteria on which a challenge may be based: Not a citizen of the United States. Not at least 18 years old. Has not resided in the election district for at least 28 consecutive days. Convicted felon who has not been restored to civil rights. Adjudicated incompetent. Previously voted in the same election. Voting Hours - 62

94 If applicable, ask the challenger why he or she believes that the challenged elector is not a citizen, is younger than 18, or has not resided in the district for at least 28 consecutive days. If applicable, ask the challenger which of the following reasons currently disqualifies the elector from voting: A felony conviction for which the challenged elector is still serving probation, parole, or extended supervision. A judge s ruling that he or she is incapable of voting. Having made a bet or wager on this election. Having voted previously in this election. Record the challenger s answers on the challenge documentation. If the challenge is not based on above the criteria, as established in the State Statutes, there is no challenge. Challenged Elector Oath Next, place the challenged elector under oath. If the challenged elector refuses to take the oath, he or she may not be given a ballot or permitted to vote. The challenged elector affirms that he or she will fully and truthfully answer all questions, and that he or she meets the following criteria: United States citizen. At least 18 years old. Has resided in the district for at least 28 consecutive days before the election. Not serving probation, parole, or extended supervision for a felony conviction. Not adjudicated incompetent by a judge for the purpose of voting. Has not made a bet or wager on this election. Has not previously voted in this election. Voting Hours - 63

95 Opportunity to Withdraw Challenge The challenger now has an opportunity to withdraw the challenge. If the challenge is withdrawn, give the challenged elector a regular ballot and make a notation on your Incident Log. Oath of Eligibility If the challenger refuses to withdraw the challenge, administer the Oath of Eligibility to the challenged voter. The challenged voter must affirm that he or she is at least 18 years old, is a citizen of the United States, has been a resident of the ward for at least 28 consecutive days leading up to the election, has not voted at this election, has not made a bet or wager on the election, and is not on any other ground disqualified to vote at this election. Issuance of Challenged Ballot If the challenged elector takes the oath of eligibility and is registered (or registers) to vote, you may issue a ballot. The challenge takes away the secrecy of the ballot. Before issuing the ballot, write the voter slip number of the challenged elector and Section 6.95 on the back of the ballot. Once the voter has marked the ballot, he or she inserts it into the machine. Notation on poll list and Incident Log Write challenged and the reason for the challenge next to the voter s name on the poll list or supplemental poll list. Note the challenge on the Incident Log, along with the outcome (challenge withdrawn, elector refused to take oath, or ballot issued). The entire challenge documentation form is completed and attached to the Inspectors Statement. Document the voter slip number on the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the challenge documentation. The challenged voter gets to vote after taking an oath of eligibility. Although the marking on the back of the ballot compromises secrecy, election officials pledge to retain as much secrecy as possible. Voting Hours - 64

96 Challenging Absentee Electors Challenger Oath If an absentee voter is challenged, place the challenger under oath. If the challenger is not willing to take an oath, there is no challenge. If the challenge is based on the criteria established in the State Statutes, proceed with the challenge. Record voter slip number and Section 6.95 on the back of the absentee ballot. The voter will not be present to respond to the challenge, so you will not be able to issue an oath to the challenged elector. Write challenged and the reason for the challenge next to the voter s name on the poll list or supplemental poll list. Attach the challenge documentation to the Inspectors Statement, and make a notation of the challenge and voter slip number on the Incident Log. Frivolous Challenges Challengers who become disruptive will be given one warning, and then instructed to leave the polling place. Board of Canvassers Review The Board of Canvassers will determine the validity of any challenged ballots. Challenges made on the following grounds are not valid and may not proceed: Home foreclosure Status of a HAVA check HAVA check non-match Elector does not speak English Elector does not look like a citizen Elector is a student Unpaid tickets Voting Hours - 65

97 Election Emergency Contingency Plan and Evacuation Procedures This contingency plan is for an election emergency or evacuation in the City of River Falls. All election officials should be knowledgeable of what to do in the event of a fire, tornado, bomb threat, hazardous leak or any other threatening disaster or situation. This plan addresses security issues for election officials, voters, and election records. General Responsibilities Locate the primary and secondary exits for your facility. Locate the fire extinguishers. Be knowledgeable of how to dial 911 from the telephones in your facility, and be knowledgeable of how to use your cell phone. Learn where to go in your facility in case of an emergency, severe weather or tornado. Have a specific point or location for all employees to assemble, both inside and outside your facility. Report any unusual activity or persons at your location. Notify the City Clerk s Office at (715) , or dial 911 for emergency services. Document any evacuation or emergency activities on your Incident Log. Voting Hours - 66

98 Communications Plan The City Clerk s Office provides a cell phone for every polling place. These telephones are to remain turned on all day and within hearing range. Should the City Clerk or any emergency personnel need to talk to you, these telephones may be our only means of communication. Polling Place Emergency Plan River Falls polling places include two schools, one university and one National Guard armory building. Each building has their own individual emergency and evacuation plan. Please follow the direction of the staff within each building for seeking shelter and/or evacuating the premise. Medical Emergencies If you observe an election official, voter or observer who appears to be seriously ill or injured: Dial 911 immediately. Give the 911 operator the location and type of emergency. Follow the directions given to you by the 911 operator. Unless it is a life-threatening situation, do not render first aid until a qualified individual arrives. Do not offer to move a person who has fallen. Obtain from the injured person (if possible) his/her name, phone number, address, date of birth, and a brief description of what happened. Avoid unnecessary conversation with, or about, the ill or injured person. Report any election official injury to the City Clerk ( ). Record event on your Incident Log. Fire Evacuation Remain calm; call 911. Direct all election officials and voters to nearest exit in an orderly fashion. Do not use elevators. Voting Hours - 67

99 Refer to Election Equipment/Ballot Security section for directions on dealing with ballots and equipment. Proceed to your designated assembly location. Be careful if crossing streets to your assembly point. Take a head count and note any missing people. Report any missing people to emergency personnel. Stay in your designated area until you are directed to do otherwise. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until advised by emergency personnel. Do not speak to the media refer them to emergency personnel. Receive all of your information from the emergency personnel. Record event on your Incident Log. Threatening Phone Call/Bomb Threat/Suspicious Object If you receive a written threat or if you find a suspicious object on the premises: Keep anyone from handling the object or going near it. The object may be dangerous. If a suspicious object is located, the area should immediately be evacuated and the object left undisturbed until the police arrive. In case an evacuation becomes necessary, call 911 from an alternate location. In the event a threatening phone call or bomb threat is received, promptly write down everything you can remember about receiving the verbal or written threat, parcel, or suspicious object. Listen for background noise, the caller s voice, and what he or she said. If the situation allows, ask questions pertaining to where the bomb is located, when it will explode, and the person s name and address. Police interviewers will need this information. Call 911 immediately and assess whether an evacuation is necessary. Record event on your Incident Log. Voting Hours - 68

100 Hazardous Leak If you are the first person to identify a leak or hazardous substance release, call 911 to report the incident. The River Falls Fire Department will assess the situation. Remain at the polling location unless notified otherwise by the emergency personnel. Close doors and windows if leak or spill is outside of your facility. Refer to Election Equipment/Ballot Security section for directions on dealing with ballots and equipment. Record event on your Incident Log. Tornado/Severe Weather If a tornado is reported or seen in the immediate area, immediately seek shelter in a secure location. All election officials should know this location ahead of time. If time does not allow you to evacuate to a safe location, find shelter under a heavy object, such as a table, and protect your head. Do not stop for personal belongings, ballots, or election equipment. Take a head count of your group. Remain calm and quiet during the waiting period. Do not wander. If the building is struck by a tornado, remain in your location until it is safe to evacuate. It is important to stay away from all sources of power, power lines, phone lines, gas lines, and windows. Once you are clear of the area, do not re-enter the building without clearance from emergency personnel. Record event on your Incident Log. Voting Hours - 69

101 Power Outage If a power outage occurs: Remain calm. Provide assistance to voters and staff in your immediate area. If you are in a location that does not have windows, proceed cautiously to an area that has emergency lights. The voting machines will retain all data in its memory and can be restarted after a power outage. Record event on your Incident Log. Workplace Violence Be aware of the possibility of an incident occurring at your polling location. All threats of violence must be taken seriously. Report any threats to the chief inspector to make a determination as to the next course of action. For any situation that involves an immediate threat of violence, an election official should notify law enforcement. Dial 911. In the event of a confrontation, do not panic. Do exactly what you are told no more and no less. Do not do anything to surprise the individual. Election Observers Election observers must follow all emergency procedures. They are prohibited from interfering with the election process or emergency procedures. If they do not comply, ask them to leave or have them removed by law enforcement personnel. Voting Hours - 70

102 Election Equipment/Ballot Security The decision of what to do with ballots and election equipment will be directly proportionate to the type of emergency. At no time should the ballot box, ballots or poll lists be out of the sight of the election officials. Although the battery pack will keep all totals, a power source will be needed to process any ballot. When you are dealing with a life-threatening situation, the evacuation and safety of human life will be the first concern. Please remember to inform any voters at your location of the safety evacuation route. The chief inspector will call the City Clerk s Office at to keep them informed of the situation. The chief inspector will keep the cell phone turned on and in hand to ensure that a line of communication is available for the City Clerk s Office. If you have time and a safe exit route, you may bring the Eagle voting machine with you to your pre-arranged evacuation meeting location. When removing the machine, close the door over the two open slots on top of the blue cart and lock. The Edge voting machine is not as mobile. It has a battery backup and will retain power for a short time. If possible, take note of the number of voters on the Edge and turn the power off. Election officials will take the poll books and all un-voted ballots into custody. If you are able, you may allow voting to continue in the parking lot of the building. If the voting process cannot be continued, a change of venue may be required. The City Clerk will determine if the event requires a change of venue. See Change of Venue below for the procedure to move a voting location. Record event on your Incident Log. Voting Hours - 71

103 Change of Venue When the City Clerk or emergency personnel determine that a polling location needs to be moved, the following process will be executed: A City Clerk s Office employee(s) and Public Works crew employees will report to the polling location. The election officials will pack up all voting equipment, ballots, poll lists, registration materials, and all election forms and information that remain and can be relocated (election signs, posting materials, etc). The Eagle voting machine will remain locked at all times. The Eagle and Edge voting machines will be escorted to a city vehicle for transport. Post signs on the door to identify the alternate polling site. All un-voted ballots that were in the care and custody of the chief inspector will be placed in the city vehicle for transport and brought to the new location. Local media will be contacted to inform citizens of the change in location. Note this change of location on the Incident Log. Voting Hours - 72

104 Emergency Contact Numbers River Falls City Clerk River Falls Deputy Clerk Pierce County Clerk St Croix County Clerk Police, Fire, Emergency Management 911 River Falls Police (Non-Emergency) St Croix Gas River Falls Municipal Utility Voting Hours - 73

105 Closing the Polls Section Four Closing the Polls - 1

106 Closing the Polls Table of Contents 3 Process All Ballots 4 Result Tapes 7 Compare Voter Slip Numbers 8 Machine Take-Down 10 Inspectors Statement 11 Discrepancy Reconciliation 12 Tally Votes 13 Guideline for Write-In s 14 Hand-Count Tally 15 Secure and Seal Ballots 16 Signatures 17 Putting Away Election Materials 17 Items Hand-Delivered to Clerk s Office 18 Payroll Sheet Closing the Polls - 2

107 Polls Close at 8 p.m. At 8 p.m., make the following proclamation: Hear ye! Hear ye! The polls of this election are now closed! One of the election officials should go to the end of the line and follow the last voter into the polls. No one else is permitted to enter the line. Everyone in line at 8 p.m. is allowed to vote. Observers Election observers may stay to watch the closing of the polls, but are not allowed to touch any official election documents. Observers may take photographs after the polls have closed and all votes have been cast. Candidates are allowed to observe once the polls have closed and voting is complete. The door to the polling place must remain unlocked until all results are announced to the observers. Process All Ballots Finish processing any absentee ballots you were unable to process during the day. Open the emergency compartment in the front of the Eagle voting machine (ballots in side and back compartments have been counted). If there are any official ballots in this compartment, run them through the machine. If there are any paper ballots in this compartment, duplicate them and run the duplicated ballots through the machine. Ask every election official whether he or she has any absentee ballots left to be processed. Check the absentee ballot delivery bag(s) for unprocessed absentee ballots before you run the Eagle machine result tapes. Before running the result tapes, triplecheck that all ballots have been processed! Closing the Polls - 3

108 Result Tapes After all of the ballots have been run through the voting machine, verify that the memory cartridges in both machines have not been tampered with during the day and are still sealed with their original seals. Eagle Voting Machine After all of the ballots have been run through the Eagle machine, take the red key and unlock the back panel of the machine. Turn the key to the left (counterclockwise) one-quarter of a turn, and lift up the panel. Verify the seal number and initial the Inspector s Statement Supplemental form. Edge Touchscreen Machine Verify the seal number which is located on the backside of the touchscreen and initial the Inspectors Statement Supplemental form. Closing the Polls - 4

109 Eagle Machine Result Tapes Do not remove the tape that may have been printing machine messages throughout the day. This is an audit trail of everything that happened during the day. Press the print totals key located on the lower left-hand corner of the keypad. The machine will ask if you are certain that you are ready to close the polls and print the totals. Check again that all ballots have been processed. Press the 0 key to close the polls. The results tape will automatically print. To print a second copy, press the print totals key again, and so on. There will always be at least two result tapes required at each election. One tape stays at the City Clerk s Office and one tape goes to the County Clerk s Office. A third copy may be required if there are School District races on the ballot. The third copy would go to the School District. Extra tapes may be printed to use as your scratch copy. Adjustments may need to be made to the tapes if votes need to be added or subtracted to/from the totals for ballots that have write-in s where the machine did not calculate the write-in. All tapes submitted to the Clerk s Office should be clean and legible. Signatures When the tapes are finished printing, tear them off the machines. When all adjustments have been made, have 3 or 5 officials (an odd number) sign every tape where indicated. The Clerk s Office does not need your scratch tape signed. Closing the Polls - 5

110 Edge Machine Result Tapes Specific steps must be taken to run totals for the Edge voting machine. Please follow the directions in your instruction packet for the Edge voting machine and Closing the Polls. There will always be at least two result tapes required at each election. One tape stays at the City Clerk s Office and one tape goes to the County Clerk s Office. A third copy may be required if there are School District races on the ballot. The third copy will go to the School District. Extra tapes may be printed to use as your scratch copy. Adjustments may need to be made to the tapes if votes need to be added or subtracted to/from the totals for ballots that have write-in s where the machine did not calculate the write-in. Any adjustments and signatures should be done with the supplied black permanent marker. All tapes submitted to the Clerk s Office should be clean and legible. Signatures When the tapes are finished printing, tear them off the machines. When all adjustments have been made, have 3 or 5 officials (an odd number) sign every tape where indicated. Please use the supplied black permanent marker for signatures. The Clerk s Office does not need your scratch tape signed. Results Tapes for Observers You may print additional results tapes if election observers request copies, but be sure to print the required tapes for the County, City, and School District first. Closing the Polls - 6

111 Compare Voter Slip Numbers The last voter slip number issued should be the same as the total number of ballots cast and the total number of voters given a number in the poll books. If these numbers do not match, try to find the discrepancy. Explain the difference on the incident log. Your numbers will be off if someone left the polling place with a ballot, two voter slips stuck together, or you issued the same voter slip number to two different voters. Document the last voter slip number on each poll list. Three, five, or seven election officials should sign each poll list. Sample Poll List Certification We certify that the attached list contains all the names of persons voting at the election held on February 16 th, 2010, and that it contains all the information about the electors required by law. We further certify that this is true, correct and complete. Total Number of Voters Printed on the Poll List: 1824 Record last voter slip number issued for this ward. Record number of absentee ballots counted for this ward. An odd number of election officials (3, 5, or 7) must sign each poll list. Total Number of Voters: Page Number of Last Voter: Number of Absentee Electors: Election Inspector Signatures: Record poll list page number containing last elector to vote in this district. If elector was a new registrant, write supplemental. Closing the Polls - 7

112 Take Down Eagle Machine Unplug the Eagle voting machine. Break the seal on the memory cartridge door and open the door. To remove the memory cartridge, lift the black handle, slide it to the right, and let it drop into the slot. Slide the memory pack out of the machine. Lift the handle and slide it back to the left so the door will close. Place the memory cartridge in the bubble bag found in the gold envelope marked Eagle Cartridge and then seal the envelope. Carefully put the cord inside the back of the machine. Be sure the cord is under the latch. Lock the back panel with the red key. Lift the machine and store inside the blue cart with any extension cords and supplies that do not need to be returned to the Clerk s Office. Lock all the doors. The Public Works crew will pick up the machine the following morning. Take Down Edge Machine Break the seal to the memory cartridge door which is located on the backside of the touchscreen. Pull out the memory cartridge and put it into the white envelope marked Edge Cartridge. Seal the envelope. Carefully put away all the components of the Edge machine. Unplug headphones and return them to the carrying case. Unplug the printer and put in carrying case. Fold the small black velcro printer cloth and place in recessed area behind the screen. Closing the Polls - 8

113 Tuck in the screen flaps and fold the touchscreen monitor down. Unplug from the wall and disconnect from the back of the machine. Retrieve the lid. The cord will either go under the flap in the lid or can be coiled and placed in the recessed area behind the screen. Put on the lid and latch into place. To prevent injuries, two election officials should flip the machine onto a table to remove the legs. Place the legs in the lid compartment and close. The machine can be placed on its wheels on the floor and returned to City Hall. The Edge machine is returned to City Hall by the chief inspectors at the end of the evening. The headphone bag and printer bag may be locked inside the Eagle voting machine if room permits. Closing the Polls - 9

114 Complete Inspectors Statement Document the following on your Inspectors Statement: These three numbers should equal the number on line four. This number should equal the Total Number of Voters on line one. If the last voter slip number assigned does not match the number of ballots cast, investigate, record the discrepancy in the voter statistics section, and explain the discrepancy in the attached Incident Log. The total of optical scan ballots, touchscreen ballots, and hand count ballots should equal the number of ballots cast; which in turn, equals the last voter slip issued. Closing the Polls - 10

115 Discrepancy Between Ballots and Voter Numbers If the last voter slip number issued does not equal the number of ballots cast, that discrepancy must be resolved on election night. At times, a voter may have been assigned a voter slip number, but left the polling place without voting. This would result in more voters than ballots. It is never acceptable to have more ballots counted than voter slips issued. Check the following items to determine why these numbers do not match. Check the emergency bin of the Eagle voting machine for ballots. Make sure all ballots that needed to be remade were remade and processed. Verify that all Election Day voter registration forms were assigned a voter slip number. Verify that all opened and processed absentee certificate envelopes were assigned a voter slip number. Verify that all absentee certificate envelopes assigned a voter slip number were opened, and that the ballots inside those envelopes were counted. Count the number of voters assigned voter slip numbers in each poll book. Add the number of completed registration forms to this total. This total should be the same as the last voter slip number issued. If it is greater than the number on the last voter slip issued, two voters may have been assigned the same voter slip number. The Poll Worker Tip Sheet found in the back of the poll book under the same-named tab is a useful tool for this process. The number bingo sheet can be helpful in finding duplicate voter numbers. Manually count the number of ballots processed by the Eagle voting machine. Does that count match the total number of ballots that the machine says it processed? Closing the Polls - 11

116 Tally Votes Use the tally sheets, found in the tally books, to record votes for all offices from: Eagle voting machine Edge voting machine Hand counted ballots Write-In ballots Two separate, identical sheets must be completed for each office on the ballot. One sheet will remain in the City Clerk s Office. The other sheet will go to the County Clerk s Office. They should both be neat and legible. Open the side door of the Eagle voting machine. This is where the machine deposits any ballots on which the voter marked the write-in arrow. If you have more than one ballot style at your polling place, you will need to divide up these ballots by color. Use tally marks to record write-in votes on the write-in tally sheets. Tally only the write-in votes. All other votes on the ballot have already been counted. You should have at least as many write-in votes as listed on the results tape. Go through the ballots located in the back compartment of the Eagle voting machine. Look for write-in votes for which the voter neglected to mark the writein arrow. Tally these write-in votes on the write-in tally sheets and make any adjustments to the result tape totals as necessary. If you had to empty a full ballot box earlier in the day, go through those ballots for write-in votes also. You should have at least as many write-in votes as listed on the results tape. The tally sheet certification page must be signed by at least three election officials (odd number). Closing the Polls - 12

117 Guidelines for the Write-In Tally Voter wrote-in Mickey Mouse. Enter Mickey Mouse on write-in tally sheet. Voter wrote-in None of the Above. Voter wrote a statement, making this a defective write-in. On write-in tally sheet, enter None of the Above and tally the number of write-ins for this office where the voter wrote this statement. Write-in arrow is connected, but write-in is blank. This is a defective write-in. On write-in tally sheet, enter No Name Listed and tally the number of blank write-ins for this office. Write-in is already on the ballot Voter completed write-in arrow and wrote the name of a candidate already on the ballot for that office. Voter did not complete arrow next to candidate s name. On write-in tally sheet, enter the candidate s name and record a vote. The vote will be added to the candidate s total vote tally at the Board of Canvassers. If the office up for election has any more than one seat available and the voter completed the write-in arrow and wrote the name of a candidate already on the ballot for that office and completed the arrow next to candidate s name, this means the machine counted one vote for the arrow next to the candidate s name and one vote for a write-in. The candidate should only receive one vote, not two. Enter the candidate s name on the tally sheet and record a vote. An adjustment should be made to the machine tape subtracting one vote from that candidate for that office. If the candidate s name is written in for an office that they are not running for, the vote would be valid. The candidate s name would be written on the tally sheet for that other office and given a vote. Closing the Polls - 13

118 President Hand-Count Tally Procedures If your polling place runs out of official ballots, we will need to supply your polling place with paper ballots. These paper ballots would be copies of the official cardstock ballots and would not be able to be fed through the Eagle voting machine. The paper ballots would need to be hand counted at the end of the night once the polls have closed. This is to be done by three election officials. There is a section on every tally sheet to record hand counted ballots. Complete one tally sheet for the city, and a matching tally sheet for the county. Some elections require a third copy for the school district. Each small cell to the right of a candidate name is to be marked with up to 5 tally marks (as shown in the following example) for votes cast for that candidate on the hand-counted ballots. One election official will read the candidate selections on each ballot, and two election officials will each mark a tally sheet. The election officials marking the tally sheets will each announce when they have reached a tally of five, or a tally in a multiple of five, for any candidate. If the election officials do not reach a tally of five at the same point, the ballots will need to be recounted. Document the hand count on your Incident Log along with the name of the election officials conducting the hand count. Office Candidate Total Votes Cast Thomas Jefferson John Adams Closing the Polls - 14

119 Secure Ballots Once you have completed the tally of votes, place the following items in the canvas ballot bag(s) provided in your black tote: Voted Eagle machine ballots Edge machine ballot roll(s) Duplicated ballots and/or discarded/damaged ballot envelope Election official signatures Seal the bag with the numbered tamper-proof seal provided in the bag. Record the seal number and the number of bags. An odd number of election officials (3, 5, or 7) must sign the ballot container certificate. Voted ballots are returned to City Hall. Record the seal number on the Inspectors Statement. Closing the Polls - 15

120 Return Items to Eagle Voting Machine Cart Place the following items in the side and/or back compartment of the voting machine as room permits: White supply box Coffee/cups Edge printer/headphones Extension cords Close and lock all the compartments of the machine. The Public Works crew will pick up the machine the following morning. Place all unissued, un-voted (blank) ballots in the black suitcase and return to City Hall. Signatures Three, five, or seven election officials sign the bottom of the Inspectors Statement, the certificate on the large white envelope for absentee ballot envelopes, and the certificate on the large brown envelope for rejected absentees. Are all signatures in place? An odd number of election officials must sign: First page of both poll lists Result tapes Inspectors Statement Large white envelope containing opened absentee ballot envelopes Large brown envelope containing rejected absentee ballots Tally sheet certification pages Ballot bag certificate(s) Closing the Polls - 16

121 Finish Packing Election Materials Voting booths The Public Works crew will disassemble and remove the voting booths from the polling place the following morning. Signage Remove Election Day signage and return it to the signage portfolio. The signage portfolio should be returned to City Hall. Black Tote The following items must be returned to City Hall in the black tote: Unissued voter slip numbers Absentee ballot certificate envelopes, placed in large white envelope that has been signed by 3 officials Rejected absentee ballots, placed in brown envelope that has been signed by 3 officials Cell phone (turned off) Poll books balanced and signed by at least 3 officials Required number of Edge result tapes completed and signed by at least 3 officials. Required number of Eagle result tapes signed by at least 3 officials. Eagle memory cartridge sealed in envelope Edge memory cartridge sealed in envelope Inspectors Statement completed and signed by at least 3 officials. Seal Tracking Sheet completed and initialed Tally Sheets completed, reconciled and signed by at least 3 officials. Completed voter registration applications in numerical order Pay records completed in ink and signed Provisional ballot materials (if issued) Absentee ballot log Name/phone list Voter assistant form (if used) Closing the Polls - 17

122 Complete Payroll Sheet Each election official is responsible for recording his or her hours on the payroll sheet. These should be completed in ink. To help speed up the payroll process, double-check the following: Election official names are legible. Hours are rounded to the nearest ¼ hour. Each payroll sheet is signed by the election official Election officials volunteering their time have checked Donate Time. Call Clerk s Office at 9 p.m. If you are still closing the polling place at 9 p.m. and are unlikely to finish in the next few minutes, call the Clerk s Office at or Additional help may be available. Closing the Polls - 18