IMPLEMENTING VOTING TABULATION DISTRICTS

State Board of Elections Annual Training

March 19-20, 2008

VTD Transition Committee: Rosemary Blizzard, Karen Brinson, Laura Dell, Sallie Diener,

Brooks Garrett-Jones, & Amanda Penny

Topic Outline

VTD: Background & Overview Transition Process: Changes to

SEIMS Reporting Process: Changes to

Voting System Precinct Changes & Procedures Wrap-up

VTD: Background &

Overview

What is a VTD?

Session Law 2007-291 established Voting Tabulation Districts (VTDs) Consistent geography for the next

redistricting/2010 census Based on precincts lines of January 1,

2008 Lines are frozen; all future election

results must be reported by VTD

Precincts to VTDs Sample County,

NC: December 31, 2007 4 official precincts

Precinct 1

Precinct 3P

recin

ct

4

Pre

cin

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2

Precincts to VTDs Sample County,

NC: January 1, 2008 Precincts lines

used to designate VTD

4 official Voting Tabulation Districts

VTD 1

VTD 3V

TD

4

VTD

2

Results of Change

Consistent geography for apples-to-apples demographic comparisons over time

Integrates elections & voter information with census geography VTD boundaries = tabulation block

boundaries

Results of Change Opportunity to improve the voting

process Precinct lines can be moved without

being bound to census block lines; no census redistricting process

Option to alter precinct lines may eliminate the scenario of a voter driving past one polling place to get to their polling place

Option to alter precinct lines should help reduce over-capacity polling places

Transition Process: Changes to SEIMS

Geocode Changes

SBE modifications to SEIMS Geocode Update released weekend of February 2 VTD data stored as another jurisdiction

field Automatically populated with official

SEIMS precinct name/code “Pseudo” precincts (two-polling places):

official precinct code now VTD

Geocode Changes Reviewing accuracy

SBE working with Legislative Services to “clean up” the tabulation district lines before submitting final maps to Census

Counties will be asked this summer to submit a GIS map file of current precincts

Discrepancies resolved in 2005 during Precinct Cleanup Project

1999 Precinct Redistricting maps and 2000 Census maps are deciding factors for accuracy of boundary lines

Changes to SEIMS Reports VTD added to all poll book reports

(2/19/08)

Changes to SEIMS Reports Exports, for use with ATVs, have also

been updated to include VTDs

Changes to Ballot Styles Shows VTD combinations for each

polling precinct

Changes in VoterView Jurisdiction Tab – displays assigned VTD

jurisdiction that the voter resides in.

Changes in VoterView Recording Voter

History – 2 Choices: SEIMS automatically

assigns the VTD based on the voter’s record information;

Override the voter record’s current VTD with a new VTD, in the event the voter moved and changes were not updated.

Changes in VoterView Voter History Tab – Shows the voter’s

assigned precinct and VTD.

Other Changes

SOSA and absentee applications will include VTD

A field for VTD will be added in the Provisional Voting Data Entry

Reporting Process: Changes to Voting

System

Coding Changes

Data export for district relations reports and coding included VTD

Since VTD = Precinct, conversion is unnoticeable

Equipment Changes

As long as VTD = Precinct, no procedure change

M100: Manual sort if coded by ballot style, scanner processes if coded by precinct

iVo is well equipped to handle – coded by polling location

ERM Changes

No significant impact Key: results must be read into

proper reporting groups for consistency of reporting

Election Night Reporting

New ENR software, combined with ERM, can generate VTD reports and public displays

Public display on Election Night: reporting can be displayed where precinct = polling location

Maintaining Voting Data

GS 163-132.5G requires county boards to maintain voting data by VTD, rather than by precinct

Reports by VTD must be completed within 60 days after the election

Precinct Changes & Procedures

Precinct Change: Scenario 1 Divide an existing precinct into smaller

precincts

Precinct 1

Precinct 3

Pre

cin

ct

4

Pre

cin

ct

2

Precinct 1

Precinct 3

Pre

cin

ct

4

Pre

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ct

2

Precinct 5

Precinct Change: Scenario 1 VTDs are not altered; votes cast in Precinct 3

& 5 are combined to report votes cast in VTD 3

VTD 1

VTD 3

VTD

4

VTD

2

Precinct 1

Precinct 3

Pre

cin

ct

4

Pre

cin

ct

2

Precinct 5

Precinct Change: Scenario 1

VTD is a single unit; multiple precincts can exist within the unit

Counties with a precinct that may have two polling places (GS 163-130.2) use this reporting method

VTD 1

Precinct 3

VTD

4

VTD

2

Precinct 5

Precinct Change: Scenario 2 Votes must be reported by VTD not

the precinct polling location

Precinct 1

Precinct 3

Pre

cin

ct

4

Pre

cin

ct

2

Precinct 1

Precinct 2 3

(merged)

Pre

cin

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4

Precinct Change: Scenario 2 Combine two or more existing precincts into

one large precinct; the VTDs remain stable

VTD 1

VTD 3

VTD

4

VTD

2

VTD 1

VTD

4

VTD 3

VTD

2

Precinct Change: Scenario 2

Managing votes in this scenario is similar to managing votes cast during one-stop or when municipal precincts are combined into one voting location

VTD 1

VTD

4VTD 3

VTD

2

Precinct Change Procedures

Requirement to only merge or split whole precincts no longer in effect (GS 163-132.3)

SBE will approve alterations based on a county’s capability to report votes by VTD

Legislative Services will no longer review or provide opinion on precinct changes

Precinct Change Proposals SBE is still required to have on file all

official precincts throughout the state, therefore when changes are made the following must be submitted (SBE Memo 2008-04):

Cover letter in executive format Copy of signed CBE resolution Description of how county will comply with

GS 163-132.3 (record by VTD) New SEIMS precinct code name(s) and

SEIMS precinct description name(s) (GS 163-132-A)

Precinct Change Proposals (cont.)

Proposal package contents continued: GIS compatible electronic map of proposed

precincts – countywide map; ArcGIS shape files preferred

Electronic images of proposed precinct(s); current & proposed boundaries and location of assigned polling site

Polling Place Accessibility Survey Polling site required pictures (electronic) Preclearance counties: copy of submission

letter & supporting documentation Copy of “Notification to Voters”

Precinct Change Proposal Deadlines

No less than 105 days prior to the next election that the new precinct boundaries will be in effect

Emergency cases, no less than 75 days prior to the next election that the new precinct boundaries will be in effect

Wrap-up Counties have successfully managed recording of

votes by precinct; VTD will require little to no alteration of procedures based on current precinct/VTD lines

CBEs will see less impact from federal and state redistricting processes: no realigning of precinct lines and census block lines; removes restrictions imposed on how CBEs can utilize their limited polling places

Modifications to SEIMS and voting system are in place and capable of handling the change to VTD

SBE now has greater responsibility in setting standards for precincts and reporting of votes