George McCueElections SpecialistNC State Board of Elections

Annual Training for County Elections OfficialsApril 4, 2012

“Motor voter”: Voter registration opportunity offered at DMV

Public schools, libraries: Offer forms Section 7: Voter registration

opportunities must be provided at all state offices offering public assistance or services to persons with disabilities

History of NVRA in North Carolina: We have been a leader in The South and nationwide

Public assistance agencies• Departments of Social Services• Departments of Public Health (specifically,

WIC offices) Disability services

• Example: Division of Services for the Blind Employment Security Commission

• Administers unemployment benefits

… when a person is Applying for services Reapplying, renewing or

recertifying services (each time)

Changing his or her address

Preference form: Provides an opportunity for person to request a voter registration application form, or to decline that opportunity

Voter registration application form(if person requests one)

Receive materials/information from agencies (specifically, the Agency Site Coordinator)Due within 5 business days from contact with applicant:

Preference forms, either as paper copies or electronically-submitted information (the “Online Preference Form”)*

If submitted by paper, should accompany an Agency Transmittal Form

Completed voter registration applications

* Due to confidentiality issues, WIC offices do not send preference forms to the counties. WIC offices simply note the activity in the NVRA report.

Encourage your county agencies to use this!

• Saves everyone time, money, resources, trees, and storage space

• Helps to ensure that voter registration opportunities given to North Carolina citizens per the NVRA

Agency must register with SBE, and will then receive a username and password

A video presentation of the process is available on the SBE website

Easy to use: When agency is meeting with service applicant, the applicant’s preference information can be entered into the system (the applicant can follow along with a hard copy of the form)• The agency representative will ask the applicant if he

or she agrees to “sign” the preference form electronically. If the applicant verbally replies “yes,” the form can be submitted

• The applicant will only need a paper form – the North Carolina Voter Registration Application – if the applicant does wish to register to vote.

Why CBEs should love the Online Preference Form (and promote it):

Takes the CBE out of the process when the opportunity is “declined”: Information is transmitted directly to SBE, so the CBE does not have to receive and store preference forms (and then keep them in compliance with the Records Retention policy)

CBEs would only receive documentation from that agency if the agency applicant wishes to complete a new Voter Registration Application to register, change voter information, etc.

Different versions for different sources:

01 Form: Public Assistance agencies 02 Form: Disability Services agencies 03 Form: Employment Security Commission

SBE tracks NVRA voter registration activity (available on SBE website)

Be a good neighbor: Stay in close contact with your county agencies and Agency Site Coordinators

Watch over process and forms: Help ensure that agencies are correctly following the law when providing Voter Registration Applications• Enough application forms in stock?

• Correctly completing required fields

• Agency personnel should not discourage any choices or influence an applicant’s political preference

• Does agency have a poster on display?