Voter List Maintenance Programs

1. Voter List Maintenance Programs Dale Simmons Co-General Counsel Indiana Election Division

2. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • IED must conduct a state-funded residency address confirmation mailing in each even-numbered year. (IC 3-7-38.2-16) • State appropriated $ 2,100,000 to IED to conduct voter list maintenance in 2014.

3. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • The mailer is to be sent to each “active” voter (each voter not already designated “inactive” under a voter list maintenance program) in Indiana in 2014. (IC 3-7-38.2-16; IC 3-11-18.2) • Precise details of when and how program will be carried out are being determined by State.

4. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • Conducted after the primary in 2014 during the “window” beginning the day after the primary (May 7) and before 90-day “lock-down” period before the 2014 general election • August 6, 2014 Election Calendar Entry: Deadline for for the Indiana election division or a county voter registration office to complete any voter list maintenance program conducted before the general election. (IC 3-7-38.2-2)

5. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • This 90-day voter list lockdown period applies only to a “general” program like a statewide mailing, county-wide mailing, or other NCOA mailing • A county may still modify registrations after August 6, 2014 based upon the following: • Request of the voter to cancel registration, including transfers • Death of voter (DOH hopper) • Imprisonment following conviction of crime

6. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • In 2006 an initial “informational” mailing was sent to all registered voters in Indiana (4,300,000) by nonforwardable mail (in 2014 it will only be sent to “active voters”) • One side of the postcard contained the name, address of the voter and sufficient postage and the other side contained a general informational message

7. 2006 Informational side of first statewide mailer

8. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • If the initial mailing was returned undeliverable a second mailing like the current NCOA notice was sent by forwardable mail (1,050,000 postcards sent in the second mailing in 2006) • The second mailing included a detachable postage-prepaid and pre-addressed postcard which voter could return to a state-provided P.O. Box. • Voter could cancel a prior registration address or transfer a voter registration within the county by marking, signing and returning the detachable card.

9. 2006 Returnable part of second statewide mailer

10. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer- like a countywide mailer will have one of four outcomes after the second mailing: • Voter will return card and confirm their registration address; • Voter will return card indicating a move within same county (processed as a transfer); • Voter will return card indicating a move to a different Indiana county or state which will result in cancellation (Voter must submit new registration new county/state) • Second mailing returned undeliverable or otherwise no response from the voter for more than 30 days (voter changed to “inactive” status in SVRS) (IC 3-5-2-1.7)

11. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • In 2006 made use of a central address for returned mail and automated processing and sorting of returns and responses. • Provided reports via SVRS County Portal regarding the results of the processing. • Provided means by which counties could batch process certain transactions (cancellations or inactivations, for example). • Ultimately, original returned cards were sorted and delivered to counties.

12. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Statewide Mailer • As of August 10, 2006- 317,000 registrations were designated inactive statewide and 2,200 were canceled at the request of voters. • Since not all counties were able to complete processing by the August 10 deadline, additional registrations were designated inactive when voter registration reopened after the 2006 general election if the voter did not vote at their registration address in the 2006 election.

13. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • Supplemental Sources of Death Information • IED to obtain information from the Social Security Administration regarding deceased Indiana residents, and forward that information to the appropriate county voter registration offices. (IC 3-7-45-6.1 and 7) • DOH to obtain information regarding Indiana residents dying out of state from other states or via STEVE and EVVE and provide to counties via SVRS DOH hopper (IC 3-7-45-5)

14. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-State Level • IED to request information from the federal district courts in Indiana regarding jury notices returned by USPS as undeliverable due to an unknown or insufficient address and provide that information to the counties so county may proceed with the address confirmation notice process. (IC 3-7-38.2-5) • IED to submit the names of all registered voters in Indiana to the USPS National Change of Address Service and to notify county voter registration offices regarding address changes reported by the NCOA program. (IC 3-7-38.2-16)

15. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-County Provisions • County VR office may cancel a voter registration of a deceased voter after receiving a copy of an obituary, notice of estate administration, or other notice of death if: • The notice is published in a newspaper that meets the qualifications to publish legal notices under state law (IC 5-3-1). • The County VR office determines that the information in the obituary or notice is sufficient to identify the person whose registration is to be cancelled. (IC 3-7-45-4)

16. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-County Provisions • A county voter registration office is authorized to use information from returns of a mailing sent to all active voters in the county (rather than to “all voters”) as part of a voter list maintenance program. (Revises SOP VRG 58.2) • If an address confirmation mailing is returned undeliverable for unknown or insufficient address after the beginning of the 90 day period before the next election then County VR may designate the registration inactive when voter registration reopens if the voter did not vote at that address in the election. (IC 3-7-38.2-2)

17. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-County Provisions • County retains all routine maintenance duties outlined in SOP VRG 58.2 including: • DOH Hopper for deaths • DOC Hopper or Sheriff’s Quarterly Reports for removal for imprisonment following conviction of crime • Request of Voter (through VRG-14 or response to a Jury Questionnaire where voter requests cancellation) • A returned countywide mailer or regular office correspondence, including Acknowledgement Cards, poll location assignment notices, or jury service notices, with follow-up NCOA notice.

18. Voter List Maintenance Voter List Maintenance-County Provisions • The County VR official (clerk or the board of voter registration) must file an affidavit with IED indicating voter list maintenance programs have been administered as required (VRG-21) • Must be filed not later than noon 77 days before each general, primary, or municipal election. (IC 3-7-12-27)