Ohio Poll Worker Training

Ohio Voter Integrity Project

Purpose

• To provide preliminary training to both Republican and Democratic poll workers– Competent, responsible election officials – Knowledgeable about the election process– Adequately prepared to fill understaffed precincts

in their Ohio counties • To ensure equal representation of party

affiliation in each

Goals

• To equip the election official with:1. Knowledge of the Ohio election laws 2. The ability to recognize any irregularities in the

election process3. The confidence and assertiveness to identify any

discrepancies and to provide accountability to other election officials

Poll Worker’s Responsibilities

• Election officials – ensure election conducted lawfully and assist voters in courteous, respectful manner.– 4-6 registered voters of co. – 2-3 Rep. and 2-3 Dem.– Presiding Judge or Precinct Manager – manager of precinct

and responsible for overall conduct of election.• Deputy Manager – opposite party of Precinct Manager• Precinct Manager: – Pick up ballots and supplies – Sat. before election

– Contact poll workers in precinct – Monday night Organizational Mtg. – set up precinct

Election Day Duties-Presiding Judge

• Arrive at polling location at 6 am• Assign job duties• Administer Oath of Office• Officially open and close the polls• Drop off ballots with Deputy Manager

Management of Polling Location

• Campaign Neutral Zone - 100 ft from entrance to polling location

• Security & Emergency Procedures . Media Access• Misconduct/Challenges

Job Assignments• Signature Poll Book

– checks voters name, address, ID, signature• Distribute ballots

– instruct voters how to mark ballot– update Registered Voters list – 11 am, 4 pm

• Provisional Voting – processing provisional voters; street directories

• Presiding Judge – monitors precinct, assists voters, helps election officials

• Election off. #5 – assists with signature poll book• Election off. #6 – assists Provisional voting

Check-In Table

Guidelines for Processing Voters

• All voters must vote in the precinct they are currently living in for their ballot to count!

• Is the voter’s name & current address in the Sig. Poll Book?– If YES and no special designation – REGULAR

VOTER– If NO – look up voter’s current address in Precinct

Street directory

Guidelines for Processing Voters• If current address is IN Precinct Street directory

– Send to Provisional official – Process as PROVISIONAL VOTER

• If current address is NOT in Precinct Street dir. – STOP! Voter is in WRONG precinct! – Send to Provisional official to look up correct precinct location– Voter may be in correct building, but at the WRONG precinct

table.• Please make sure the voter is at the correct precinct table.• ONLY BALLOTS CAST IN THE CORRECT PRECINCT WILL BE

COUNTED!

Voter Assistance• Assisting with marking the ballot

– Voter brings someone to help mark their ballot: – Voter and person assisting – both required to

complete & sign Form 228• Voter requests Election Official to help mark ballot:

– BOTH Dem & Rep election officials assist voter together– Voter, Dem official & Rep official are ALL required to complete

& sign Form 228• Curbside Voters

– If voter unable to enter precinct to vote– Dem & Rep election officials together assist voter by bringing

voting materials to them.

Regular Voter• Regular voter

– Name and current address correctly listed in Signature Poll Book– Shows acceptable & current identification– Scans the ballot

• Voter– Enters polling place and goes to check-in table

• Election Official– Asks for the voter’s name and current address– Asks for voter’s ID– Locates name in Signature Poll Book– Verifies voter’s name and address

• Voter– Signs the Signature Poll Book in the box next to their name

• Election Official:– Compares written signature to signature in Signature Poll Book– Writes down complete stub number of voter’s ballot next to voter’s signature– Updates registered voter list: List #1 posted at 11 am: List #2 posted at 4 pm– Gives voter a ballot and instructs them how to complete the ballot

Photo ID Examples• Ohio Driver’s license & Identification card• There are two numbers on these ID’s• Required number – located on left hand side under

phrase “LICENSE NO.”• Correct # begins with letters: TL545786• Incorrect # is the 16 digits above picture• Check exp. date

Acceptable Identification

Unacceptable Identification

• Out-of-state driver’s license or photo ID card• Social security card• Passport• Birth certificate – unless same address• Insurance card• Registration acknowledgement card from BOE

Special Designations in Signature Poll Book

Special Designations

Special Designations

Provisional Voting

• Provisional voter – Someone whose voter eligibility is in question -

ballot will be counted at a later date.– MUST BE IN CORRECT PRECINCT (CURRENTLY LIVE

IN) FOR BALLOT TO COUNT.• Voter does not scan the ballot

Reasons for Provisional Voting– Change of address – moved into precinct from DIFFERENT precinct– Name not in Signature Poll Book

• Check the name again• Changed first or last name recently?• Two last names hyphenated?• Using middle name or maiden name?

– Changed name– Absentee voter – special designation– Must Vote Provisionally – special designation– Last 4 digits Social Security number given as ID– Voter did not bring ID– Voter has no ID – Form 10-T– Challenged Voter– Signature does not match signature in Signature Poll Book

• Has handwriting changed? Some change with age• Are signatures completely different? May be an error in Signature Poll Book• Use good judgment.

Processing Voters Flowchart

Processing Provisional Voter• Provisional Election Official

– Verifies voter’s current address is in precinct– Verifies voter’s valid ID

• Voter fills in front of Provisional Envelope– Step 1: clearly prints full name– Step 2:

• Writes in last 4 digits of social security number• or full 8 digit driver’s license number• or checks other form of ID shown

– Step 3: voter signs form• Provisional Election Official

– Prints official’s name– Writes in date

Processing Provisional Voter:Change of Address or Name

• Voter completes back of envelope if:– Change of address– Change of name (married, etc)

• Voter completes steps 1-11– U.S. Citizen?– 18 yrs or older?– Name– Address– Birthdate– Ohio Lic.# or last 4 digits of social security #

• Voter completes steps 12 and/or 13– Previous address if address change– New name if name change

• Voter signs and dates form – step 14

Processing Provisional Voter

• Voter prints and signs name and address in Provisional Signature Poll Book

• Provisional Election Official –– Puts Provisional label (sticker) over top left barcode on

each ballot page– Records stub number in Prov. Signature Poll Book– Voter completes ballot – folds in half – places in

Provisional envelope– DO NOT SCAN THE BALLOT– Place envelope in side slot on left side of eScan tub

Preparing to Close Polls

• NEVER CLOSE POLLS BEFORE 7:30 pm• Everyone in line by 7:30 will be allowed to

vote– Election official will stand at the end of the line to

mark the last voter at 7:30– Politely inform voters arriving after 7:30 that the

polls are closed– If court orders polls to remain open after 7:30 –

Manager will be notified

Closing the Polls

• Manager and Deputy Manager close polls together on the eScan and eSlate

• Election officials:– Count signatures in Signature Poll Book– Count ballots– Record totals on Sig Poll Book covers– Complete Ballot Accounting Chart (BAC)

Record Totals • Record Total Signatures

– The number of voters who signed Signature Poll Book– Count actual signatures – do not count Absentee voters– Record number on cover of Signature Poll Book

• Record Provisional Signatures– Number of voters who signed Provisional Signature Poll Book– Record number on cover of Provisional Signature Poll Book– Record same number on cover of Signature Poll Book

• Record Total Provisional Envelopes– Count the total number of Provisional Envelopes – Record number on cover of Signature Poll Book

Ballot Accounting Chart

Questions?