ELECTIONS: The Inner Workings
By Anthony Giamei

50 years of Personal History

I have been working at the elections for over 50 years. I have seen many changes in that time. I started as a runner, taking precinct results to Town Hall, where they were posted by hand on a board for all to see. I moved up the ladder to checker, assistant registrar, deputy registrar, registrar, moderator and head moderator.

Regulations

Elections are run by Towns at the direction of the State. In Connecticut, there are 169 Towns and 700 precincts. The CT Secretary of the State provides guidance to the Registrars on the election calendar, training for the upper positions, ballot structure, handbooks, electronic tools to capture the votes and detailed rules. Further regulations for Federal Elections come under HAVA (Help America Vote Act).

Voter Eligibility

In Connecticut voters (“the electors”) can register by mail, in the Registrars’ Office, with the Town Clerk, DMV or using “Same day Registration.” The voter needs to provide some ID or can offer a SSN or a driver license number. These are verified online to establish age and residency. The voter can select a party and indicate a desire to work at the polls. A special effort is made by the Registrars to register students or residents in assisted living facilities.

A voter can vote for President by proving residency to the Town Clerk.

Training

All poll workers are trained either by the State with hands-on exposure, or electronically or by the Registrars. Testing is required for the upper positions to obtain certification. There is also an organization of Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut that provides training. The registrars are also trained in procedures related to voter registration.

Poll Worker Positions

Moderators are in charge of the voting process and reporting results. They police the 75’ no campaigning boundary and have the authority to call in State troopers if any voter refuses to follow the rules. The Town Clerk sets up the ballot and declares the official winners. Registrars (a Republican and a Democrat) maintain the voter rolls, order supplies, check out the memory cards for scanners, and set up the Official Voter Lists for each precinct. Checkers check in every voter against the voter list after checking ID. Ballot Clerks hand out paper ballots to eligible voters. Assistant Registrars sort out issues such as name changes, address changes, promotion from inactive to active status, etc. Tabulator Tenders oversee the voter-scanner interaction. The district moderator will resolve any issues, such as an overvote. There are provisions for voters with disabilities, including mobility, vision and/or hearing. General Assistants help setting up and dealing with signage.

Preparations take several weeks. Typical elections require 6 to 10 poll workers for each of the 700 precincts ! They work from 5 AM to midnight. They work for near minimum wage, but food is provided. So, it is an expensive process.

Many of the poll workers are retired seniors. This has become an issue as many of the workers are no longer willing or able to work such long hours. Recently, the State has allowed split shifts for some workers. That helps, but it has become very difficult to find enough workers for these important tasks.

Types of Voting Sessions

There are two types of voting sessions: Elections and Referenda.

Voting Sessions include General Elections (Federal, State and Municipal), Special Elections (when an individual politician needs to be replaced before the end of their term) and Primaries.

Referenda are held for large budget items, such as school budgets or construction or repairs (roads, buildings, etc.) Voters for these only need to be residents of the Town.

All of these voting sessions require programmed memory cards, ballots and pre-testing.

Voting Assistance

Every effort is made to accommodate voters. Examples are Absentee voting, Military ballots and ballots for those overseas (such as embassy workers). Addresses can be hidden, as for police, Judges and even those under protective orders.
There are mandatory special registration sessions before major elections.

Now we have early voting and are considering mail-in voting.

There is Election Day Registration, Curbside Voting and an Independent Voting System.

If a voter cannot be verified, he/she can obtain a provisional ballot. These can be investigated at a later time by the Registrars, and a thorough review can even be forced by a Judge in a close election. One voter can even challenge another, and a challenge ballot is used, subject to review.

Counting the Vote

Counts start with printed output tapes from the tabulators. Ballots that cannot be scanned can be counted manually, where “voter intent” rules. Absentee ballots and Election Day ballots can be scanned or counted manually. These results are tallied and entered into the Election Management System. A first draft must be submitted by midnight on election day. Then the Registrars and Head Moderator have a few days to finalize and certify the vote. The ballots are kept for at least 2 weeks, and often for two years.

Issues

There is always the concern of voters: “Did my vote count?”
Is my vote private?
How long do I have to wait in line to vote? This can be an issue in the large cities.
There are recounts if the result is very close or if there is a challenge to the results.
There are recounts if referenda items do not pass.
There are audits conducted by the State.

We have been selected for many recounts and audits and have always passed with flying colors!

 

We welcome your comments.