Comprehensive Guide to Vote Center Planning and Administration
This guide outlines the essential requirements and processes for establishing and amending a comprehensive vote center plan in Indiana. It covers key aspects such as the total number and locations of vote centers, precinct election board composition, duties of election workers, security and accessibility plans, ballot variations, and early voting hours. The importance of ongoing review and revision of the vote center plan to align with changing state laws and local conditions is emphasized. Additionally, it details the unanimous voting process for plan adoption and amendments, along with the necessary steps for implementation.
- Vote Center Planning
- Election Administration
- Indiana Election Division
- Precinct Election Boards
- Voting Accessibility
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ELECTION ADMINISTRATION 101 Vote Center County Valerie Warycha Co-Counsel Indiana Election Division
Following Your Vote Center Plan Congratulations after months or years of study, discussions or negotiations, the county election board has unanimously agreed to adopt a vote center plan for your county. Remember that your vote center plan needs ongoing review and revision due to changes in: state law or in local conditions such as location availability. Review your vote center plan for 2023 to see if you need specific changes to implement city and town elections. IC 3-11-18.1
Vote Center Plan Requirements to Review Before Election Total number of Election Day vote centers to be established Location of each vote center Number of precinct election boards at each site Vote Center counties are required to have at least one Inspector and two Judges at each location, even if the plan renames those positions Title and designation of duties for election workers Number and type of ballot variations needed at each vote center Security plan Accessibility plan Hours of early voting for at least one location used on Election Day for the two Saturdays preceding Election Day The one location of the county clerk s office used for early voting does not need to be included in the plan Method and timing of providing ePollbook data to interested parties without unreasonable delay Tippecanoe Co set specific hours for distribution of data IC 3-11-18.1-4
Amending Your Vote Center Plan Just like adopting your original plan, an amendment requires a unanimous vote and signatures of the entire membership of the board. The plan amendment takes effect immediately upon filing with the Indiana Election Division unless it specifies otherwise. No special public hearing required or consideration by county commissioners or council when amending your county s plan but must be adopted at county election board meeting under open door law. IC 3-11-18.1-15
Vote Center Worker Duties Your vote center plan must specify the number and title of the precinct election officers at the vote center and the duties that each person must perform. Every vote center must have a precinct election board made up of an Inspector and two judges of opposite political party, even if their titles are renamed in the plan. Your plan can provide for precinct election officers using different titles such as greeter instead poll clerk and which vote center officer is required to perform a duty such as election sheriff summoning law enforcement. State law does not require uniformity in number or title of precinct election officers at the vote center, though there is to be equal representation by the two major political parties except for the individual assigned the duties of the Inspector. Some vote centers may accommodate more voters than others. Double check to make certain each duty assigned by law in a precinct-based county is assigned to a specific vote center worker. IC 3-6-6-5.5, IC 3-11-18.1-4
How Does Early Voting Work in a Vote Center County? At least ONE vote center used on election day must be an early voting location for absentee voting on the two Saturdays before Election Day. Counties can add more satellite early voting locations in their plan but, at minimum, must use one Election Day vote center for these two Saturdays This satellite location is in addition to the one location of the clerk s office as designated by the clerk for the 28- days before election day Locations used in the primary election must be used in the general election CEB can unanimously agree to amend their plan and add more locations for the fall location, but are required to use the locations, dates, hours used in the spring IC 3-11-10-26, IC 3-11-10-26.3, IC 3-11-1-4, 3-11-18.1-12
How Does Early Voting Work in a Vote Center County? All absentee ballot styles for the entire county must be available. MicroVote counties deploy their DRE units for early voting OpScan counties generally deploy a ballot marking device that can call-up the ballot styles on a touch screen, though some use ballot on-demand printers or have all ballot styles available on pre-printed ballot cards Electronic Pollbooks (ePollbooks) are linked to each other to prevent a person from voting more than once in the election by going to different sites. IC 3-11-10-26, IC 3-11-10-26.3, IC 3-11-1-4, 3-11-18.1-12
How Does Early Voting Work in a Vote Center County? Early voting uses absentee voter boards, not poll workers; therefore, you would have bi-partisan absentee voter board teams at all locations, even at the clerk s office Additional support staff can assist, but ABS voter boards manage key functions of early voting Vote center plan can include the number of teams needed at each site OR ABS voter board team needs for early voting can be part of the 50-day out ask of the party chairs to nominate individuals to serve as ABS voter boards for mail, early voting & travel board needs. IC 3-11-10-26, IC 3-11-10-26.3, IC 3-11-1-4, 3-11-18.1-12
Organizing Early Voting Ballots in a Vote Center County Before Election Day, ALL absentee ballots must be grouped and arranged together by precinct, except in Marion County, prior to the central count of absentee ballots. Whether vote center or non vote center, ALL BALLOTS absentee and Election Day are required to be organized by precinct to store as election materials for the period of 22-months following the election. Marion County is exempt from this statute. This organization is important for recounts & contests actions and for post election (that is, risk limiting) audits IC 3-11.5-6-5 | IC 3-11.5-6-4 | IC 3-11.5-6-5 | IC 3-11.5-6-21
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