Voter List Maintenance

1. Voter List Maintenance Data Points & Projects, Statewide Mailer

2. Voter List Maintenance Hoosiers are responsible for updating their voter registration any time they move or change their name. So why is VLM necessary? • Required by Federal law (NVRA) and state law • Work must be completed 90 days before primary, general or municipal election • Helps to: • Update and reflect voter’s current registration status • Modestly reduce costs of election administration

3. Voter List Maintenance • What is VLM? • Prescribed process to reclassify voters who may no longer live in your county or Indiana • Must provide notice before reclassification • Example: NCOA mailer sent to an ACTIVE voter is returned as undeliverable • Voter is placed in INACTIVE status in SVRS • Voter is moved back to ACTIVE status IF they vote in at least one election during the next two general FEDERAL election cycles • Inactive voter is slated for cancellation after NOT voting in two consecutive general FEDERAL election cycles

4. Voter List Maintenance • VLM Mailings • Counties (IC 3-7-26.3 & 3-7-38.2-2(b)) • State law allows counties to generate their own VLM mailing • Indiana Election Division (IC 3-7-38.2-16 & 17) • State law REQUIRES IED to conduct a statewide mailing every two years Any VLM program MUST be uniform and non-discriminatory and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965

5. Voter List Maintenance • What types of communication can be used as a VLM source by county officials? • Returned NCOA mailers • Returned jury notices • Returned notices sent to ALL ‘ACTIVE’ voters • Information from BMV that voter has returned license after moving to another state • If returned as undeliverable, can trigger inactive status for reclassification after two general election cycles of non-voting

6. Voter List Maintenance • What types of communication CANNOT be used as a VLM source by county officials? • Returned mail from other government offices • Returned mail received by political parties or candidates are a result of campaign activity • Information provided by a precinct committeeperson or poll worker

7. Other Data Points • Self-reporting • Disfranchisement due to imprisonment • Death Data • Obituaries • STEVE/EVE • Death master list • Interstate Mailer (“Kansas” Program) • U.S. District Court

8. Data Points • Registration information cannot be removed or updated based on hearsay • Election officials must use verified data to inactivate or cancel voter registrations! Critical to have GOOD & ACCURATE data to use as matching criteria for VLM program!

9. Self-Reporting • Voter can cancel their own record • County provides with “Authorization to Cancel Registration” form available through SVRS • Registration is cancelled once voter signs and returns to your office • IED receives notifications, too • Forward those to the county voter registration office • Can be mailed or scanned electronically with hard copy to follow

10. Death Data • Obituaries • Can be used by VR Board IF BOTH agree the person in the obituary is the person being cancelled in SVRS • Can ask for additional information before deciding whether or not to cancel voter’s registration • Any disagreement must be decided by the CEB Best advice: don’t make a decision on name alone. Names are more common than you might think. IC 3-7-45

11. Coming Soon Death Data • STEVE/EVVE • Indiana Department of Health is required to report information on the deaths of Indiana residents outside the state to the Indiana Election Division • This data is being collected from the State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events (STEVE) and the Electronic Verification of Vital Events (EVVE) • Information will be sent to the county voter registration offices via a SVRS hopper • Quest is working with Indiana Office of Technology to ensure proper data connectivity

12. Coming Soon Death Data • Death Master File • Social Security Administration maintains a list of deceased Hoosiers • Information will be shared with IED monthly • Currently working with Quest to implement program within SVRS

13. NEW Interstate Mailer • Effort to identify Hoosier voters (possibly) residing in other states • County learns voter may have moved out of state • Generate ‘interstate’ letter from SVRS • Send letter to voter • Response from voter triggers: • Cancellation (if voter notes they have moved out of state) • Update to registration record (if voter moved within Indiana) • No response puts the voter in inactive status for reclassification to cancelled status after two general election cycles without voting

14. NEW U.S. District Court • Northern & Southern District Courts must share undeliverable jury summons data to IED • Change in state law in 2015 (IC 3-7-38.2-17) • First data pull resulted in about 11,600 entries • Data sorted by: • Not deliverable as addresses • Most records fall in to this category • Moved out of district • Unknown • Deceased

15. NEW U.S. District Court • First data pull resulted in about 11,600 entries statewide • No special hopper • Quest will send spreadsheets directly to each county with voters’ names on the list • County will research issue • Send NCOA mailer to those ‘undeliverable’ on the list • Initiates the reclassification process • Contact state or local health departments to confirm person is deceased

16. 2016 Statewide Mailer • Statewide Mailer • State law requires IED to manage statewide mailing in even number years • General Process • Mailer 1 sent to all ACTIVE voters • Contains generic messaging • Does NOT require action by voter

17. 2016 Statewide Mailer • General Process • Mailer 2 sent to smaller universe of voters whose postcard is returned as undeliverable • Contains SPECIFIC messaging & a return card for voter to confirm: • Confirm current address on card • Change residence address (in state, out-of-state, within county) • Request voter registration cancellation

18. 2016 Statewide Mailer • Why is this mailer important? • Info gleaned from Mailer 2 triggers ability to reclassify voters who: • Do not return second card • Moved to INACTIVE status in SVRS before 2016 general election AND • Do not vote in BOTH 2016 & 2018 general elections • Moved to CANCELLED status in SVRS AFTER 2018 general election

19. Statewide Mailer • What we learned from 2014 • Better content on postcard communications to reduce confusion, calls to county offices • More communication to counties when mail will drop & content of messaging • Use different adhesive to prevent cards from sticking • Ensure notice is given to counties on postcard batch delivery • Use better packaging when delivering response cards • Keep online postcard viewer to aid workflow

20. Statewide Mailer • Project Update: • Released Request for Proposal (RFP) in summer 2016 • Selected vendor & finalized contract • Begin drafting content for mailers after holidays and no later than March 1, 2016

21. Statewide Mailer • Project Timeline: • First mailer • May 13, 2016: deadline to cut data from SVRS • Mailed no later than 7 days afterward • Second mailer sent on a rolling basis • Begins no later than May 31, 2016 • County-level work completion • Data entry from this mailer must end no later than August 10, 2016 • Federal requirement to end VLM activities no later than 90 days before general election

22. 90-Day Rule • Federal law requires VLM activities to end no later than 90 days before general election • General VLM work to update or cancel records may resume after the general election • VR officials CAN update records within this 90-day window for these reasons ONLY: • At the written request of the voter • Ex. VRG-7, voter changes address within county; ABS, voter changes within precinct • However, you cannot INACTIVATE a record during this period • Disfranchisement due to imprisonment • Death of the voter • Any statewide VLM mailer information sent to counties after the 90-day deadline is NOT to be used to update or cancel records. IC 3-7-38.2-3