HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT

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• HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT
• Requirements
• and
• Implementation Plan

Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels
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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements

• Mandatory Requirements
• Funding
• State Responsibility Status

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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements
• Overview

• Voting Machines (Systems)
• Provisional Voting
• Voter Information Education
• Voter Registration List
• Mail-In Registration
• Overseas Absentee Ballots

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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements

• Voting Machines (Systems)

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Voting systems requirements

• All Voting Systems MUST
• Allow voter to verify and change ballot
• Notify voter of overvote and the effect of
  overvote
• Allow for review of vote

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Voting systems requirements
For paper ballots (hand counted), punch cards and
central tabulation (including for absentee),
State or county must provide

• Voter education and
• 2. Instructions regarding the effect of
  overvotes and how to correct mistake before the
  ballot is cast and counted

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Voting systems requirements

• Audit requirements
• Permanent record with manual audit capacity
• 2nd Chance Voting
• Paper record official record for recounts

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Voting systems requirements

• Accessibility requirements
• Must be accessible in a manner that provides the
  same opportunity for access and participation as
  for other voters.
• Must provide at least 1 DRE equipped for
  disabilities at each polling place.

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Voting systems requirements

• Alternative language requirements
• Some Counties may be required to provide Spanish
  language voting systems.

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• Interpretation
• Most experts agree that only direct-read
  electronic machines (DREs) will meet the
  requirements of HAVA.
• Arkansas currently has only six counties with
  DREs in place.
• Preliminary costs for machine replacement could
  be as high as 12 million.

• Arkansass Question
• Uniform Voting Equipment statewide?

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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements

• Voting Machines (Systems)

• Provisional Voting

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Provisional Voting

• Akin to AR Challenged Ballot
• Written Affirmation
• Free Access to Results
• After Polls Close

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• Interpretation
• Training Education for Election Officials

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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements
• Voting Machines (Systems)
• Provisional Voting

• Voter Information Education

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Voter Information Education

• Posted at each polling place

• Sample ballot
• Date and hours
• Instructions on how to vote (including
  provisional ballots)
• Instructions for mail registrants and first-time
  voters
• Information on voters rights
• Information on voter fraud laws.

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Interpretation Both State and counties will be
responsible for providing voter education
material. Issue to Consider Uniformity allows
for easier production (standardization of
training materials)
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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements
• Voting Machines (Systems)
• Provisional Voting
• Voter Information Education

• Voter Registration List

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Statewide Voter Registration List

• Components
• Defined, maintained and administered at state
  level
• Unique identifier for each voter
• Single system for storing and managing official
  voter list
• Coordinated with other agency databases

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Statewide Voter Registration List

• Components, cont
• Immediate electronic access
• Expedited data entry
• SOS to provide support

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Statewide Voter Registration List

• List Maintenance
• Removal of names pursuant to current law (NVRA)
• State shall coordinate voter list with state
  agency records on felonies and deaths
• Duplicate names eliminated

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Statewide Voter Registration List

• List Maintenance
• Voter database and DMV database must be linked to
  verify applicant information
• DMV must link with Social Security for
  verification

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Statewide Voter Registration List

• Applicant information required
• Driver license number
• Last 4 digits of social security number
• If neither DL nor SS is used, the unique
  identifier number is assigned
• The State shall determine whether information
  provided by applicant is sufficient

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• Interpretation
• Arkansass current voter registration database
  does NOT meet the requirements of HAVA.
• All new registrants must provide DL or last four
  digits of SS
• EVERYONE will have a number
• Each county will have access to entire list
• State must provide hardware software

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• Interpretation
• Issues to Consider
• Equipment Connectivity

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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements
• Voting Machines (Systems)
• Provisional Voting
• Voter Information Education
• Voter Registration List

• Mail-In Registration

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Mail-In Registration

• Applications for voters registering
• by mail or first time voters must include
• Box for citizenship and age
• Statement that no registration if not a citizen
  or appropriate age
• Statement that first time registrants and voters
  must provide id information to avoid additional
  id requirements upon voting for the first time.
• If any federally required information not
  completed, clerk must immediately notify voter.

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• Interpretation
• Registration forms will have to be changed to
  include information
• First-time voters who registered by mail must
  provide ID or vote provisional ballot

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• Help America Vote Act
• Requirements
• Voting Machines (Systems)
• Provisional Voting
• Voter Information Education
• Voter Registration List
• Mail-In Registration

Overseas Absentee Ballots
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Overseas Absentee Ballots

• Single State office responsible for information
  regarding voting procedures for overseas voters
• Congress recommends that the office be
  responsible for processing overseas registration
  apps and absentee ballots.
• State must report the total number of overseas
  absentee ballots sent and returned.
• Extended period of applications effectiveness.

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• Interpretation
• Secretary of State must process applications,
  ballots, report information for overseas
  absentee ballots

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Secretary of State Administrative Action

• Must establish Administrative Complaints
  Procedure
• Implementation of new voter registration database
• Increased voter education and outreach
• HAVA education/training for election officials
  poll workers

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Secretary of State Administrative Action

• Establish free access for provisional voting
  results
• Change in voter registration forms
• System for UOCAVA reporting
• Coordination of voter id and deceased voters

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Secretary of State Planning

• Education
• HAVA Committee

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HAVA Committee
Secretary of State Charlie Daniels, Chair

• Governors Office
• Legislators
• County Clerks
• Election Commissioners
• Election Coordinators
• Disability Groups

• Minorities
• Political Parties
• Association of AR Counties
• Dept. of Motor Vehicles
• Military
• Information Technology

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Planning

• Education
• HAVA Committee

• Legislation
• Needs Analysis

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Needs Analysis
4 Election Coordinators assigned by Congressional
District Needs Analysis to Include

• Statistics on precincts voting systems
• Voter registration data, equipment connectivity
  issues
• Polling site access
• Voter education
• Coordinators to remain in place for future
  implementation

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Planning

• Research
• Machine Buyout
• State Plan/Certification
• Implementation

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• HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT
• Requirements
• And
• Implementation Plan

Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels