Clerks

Frequently Asked Questions

This Frequently Asked Questions is being added to all the time. Please check back again for new entries.

Questions Answers

Newly Revised GAB-190 Posted on the Election’s Division Website

Preparations for the 2010 Election Season have already begun. Based on the excellent feedback received from you, our valued customers and partners, we have made changes to the GAB-190 Post Election Statistics and Reporting Form to improve clarity and completeness of voter participation information. The changes can be found on both the GAB-190 Form and the GAB-190 Help Guide, both of which are posted on our website.

The information you provide on the GAB-190 helps us better inform the public, ourselves, members of the Government Accountability Board, and the Governor and Legislature. The new questions that we have added to the GAB-190 will continue to help us get a better idea of what occurs on and before Election Day, in your office and at the polls.

The changes are noted with a blue arrow in the GAB-190 Help Guide. The GAB-190 Help Guide provides clerks with more insight into what each question is asking for and offers in depth explanations. The additional questions include information on Election Inspectors, how many in-person absentee ballots are issued in your office, and separates the tracking of the military and overseas write-in from military and overseas official ballot.
We are working to create a GAB-190 that does not change for each election; however Federal Legislation often makes this difficult. Currently the Federal Government is implementing the Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment (MOVE) Act. The MOVE Act does not include a comprehensive list of all the information that needs to be reported back to the Federal Government. We understand such information is forth coming. This means that the GAB-190 is likely to change, probably for the September 2010 Primary.

As always we appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter. We continue to work hard to create a GAB-190 Form that transcends elections but must continue to comply with Federal Law. If the GAB-190 changes due to the implementation of MOVE before the September 2010 Primary, that will be as a result of the Federal Government, not the G.A.B. During our communication listening sessions, you ask that we share with whenever things impact election administration that is not under G.A.B.’s control. Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

Survey: Elections Division’s Extended Hours for Providing Election Assistance

For an off-year election season, 2009 sure was busy! Working together with you, our valued customers and partners, we accomplished a lot including engaging you in meaningful dialogue regarding early voting, communications, training, SVRS and the development of our 5-year, visionary and bold 2009-2014 Election Administration Plan, to name a few initiatives. We are in the process of preparing a list of our most strategic and noteworthy 2009 achievements and will soon share that list with you.

We made great strides in 2009 toward strengthening the Clerk/GAB Partnership, and we want to do even better in 2010. As you know, we have four scheduled 2010 elections this season. In our continuing effort to be a supportive partner, we want to make sure we are available during the critical times that you need us beyond our normal business hours between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. In order for us to make sure that our extended hours mesh with your availability, we need you to share some information with us.

Please take a few minutes of your time to answer the questions in the survey you can reach by clicking on this link: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A3RXJ4RBZ. Your responses will help us determine how we can better serve you by extending hours of operation leading up to, during and after the four 2010 elections. Please complete the brief survey by close of business on Friday, January 29, 2010.

Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

The State has set up the 2010 Spring Primary in SVRS

Please note that this is the first of three High Priority e-mails from us. The second, regarding Voter Matching in SVRS, will follow next week; however, it is posted on the Elections Division web site on the Recent Clerk Communications page. A third High Priority e-mail regarding School Districts closing polling places will also be sent to you next week, though it is also on the web site now.
The 2010 Spring Primary (in SVRS) is now ready for engagement.

County clerks may now inherit the Spring Primary (where applicable) and notify the self-providers in their county.
Once the primary is inherited, contests and candidates for the Spring Primary can be entered. Please remember that only those offices requiring a primary are entered into SVRS.
A checklist is found on the Elections Division web site: http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=3066&linkid=158&loci.... This checklist is applicable for the 2010 Spring Primary and Spring Election

Notice: Make sure to assign a Reporting Unit Plan when you inherit the primary or election.

Starting this year, all municipalities need to select a Reporting Unit Plan whenever inheriting an election event. This action was not required before 2010. The Government Accountability Board has created three Reporting Plans in SVRS for each municipality to use. Before you inherit your election (or primary), check to see which Reporting Unit Plan matches the way you will be reporting your election results to your county clerk. Reporting Unit Plans can be found by expanding the Elections node, expanding the Plans node, and then expanding the Reporting Unit Plans node. Once you have determined which Reporting Unit Plan you are using for the Election, you can then inherit your election being sure to choose that Reporting Unit Plan from the dropdown box. If none of the existing Reporting Unit Plans match the way your municipality reports their election results, please contact your SVRS Specialist or the G.A.B. Help Desk.

The February 16, 2010, Spring Primary | G.A.B.’s Extended Operating Hours

Thanks to all of you (800) who responded to our online survey on which G.A.B. extended operating hours before, during and after elections would best meet your needs. We were pleasantly surprised by so many responses that indicated no additional or expanded hours were needed, outside of G.A.B.’s normal hours of operation of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A majority of the responses indicated that a lot of expanded hours may not be needed for smaller elections (i.e. February and April), but that more hours would be needed for the September Partisan and the November General elections. A full analysis of the survey responses will soon be shared with you.

In accordance with your responses, I am pleased to announce our extended hours of operation in preparation for next Tuesday’s Spring Primary Election as follows:

Extended Operating Hours During the Week of February 8-12, 2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday, February 12, 2010: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 13, 2010: 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon

Extended Operating Hours During the Week of February 15-19, 2010

Monday, February 15, 2010: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

You may contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov. We are happy to provide these extra hours in case additional assistance is needed to ensure a successful election. If needed, I may be contacted at (608) 267-0715, or Nat.Robinson@wi.gov. Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

Update on Early Voting

Many of you have inquired about the status of the Early Voting Report adopted and modified by the Government Accountability Board during its December 17, 2009, meeting. The purpose of this correspondence is to give you an update.

On Monday, January 4, 2010, the Board-adopted Early Voting Report was provided to the Governor, the two Legislative Committees that have oversight of the Board’s mission and functions, the two co-chairs and the two ranking Republican members of the Legislative Joint Committee on Finance, and each remaining member of the Legislature.
During the Board’s January 14, 2010, meeting, held via a teleconference call, Representative Jeff Smith engaged in a dialogue with the Board about Early Voting Report. He told the Board that it is very likely that the Early Voting Report will be addressed by the Legislature during this session.
Representative Smith also apprised the Board that changing in-the-Clerk’s Office absentee voting from Monday, the day before an election, to the previous Friday, may be a hard sell. He advised the Board that he met with a group of Clerks a day or two prior to the Board’s January 14 meeting and advised the Clerks that it would be up to them to convince their respective Legislators to change in-the-Clerk’s Office absentee voting from Monday to the previous Friday.
We have requested that the Legislative Reference Bureau prepare legislation implementing the recommendations adopted by the Government Accountability Board on December 17, 2009.
We are aware that Senator Spencer Coggs and Representative Smith (Chairs of the Senate and Assembly oversight committees) are working on an election administration bill that is slated to include changes to absentee voting, the MOVE Act and other election administration initiatives. We understand that bill is being prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

The Board-adopted Early Voting Report is moving through the legislative process. We will continue to keep you informed of its progress. As always, please let me know if you have questions. Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

Tuesday, February 16, 2010, Primary Election Court of Appeals Race in District IV

On Wednesday, February 17, you received a phone call from Election Specialist Ross Hein regarding the potential for a recount of the Court of Appeals District IV primary election. Based upon our survey of the 24 counties involved, the unofficial results indicate a 182-vote difference between Edward Leineweber and Ramona Gonzalez with a total of 54,036 votes cast. The unofficial results have been posted on our website at:
http://elections.state.wi.us/subcategory.asp?linksubcatid=3341&linkcatid....

As you may know by now, Judge Gonzalez has indicated that she will not petition for a recount of the Spring Primary. She advised our office that she has confidence in the work of local and county election officials, and did not wish to have taxpayers incur the additional costs of a recount. We wanted to advise you of this news as we know preparing for a recount would affect your staffing plans in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your prompt responses to our telephone survey, and your willingness to assist with the potential recount. You did an excellent job and we want to commend you for your cooperation.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

Clerks’ Responsibilities on Absentee Voting Deadline Days

Please see attached memo.

Protocol for Improving the Accuracy and Consistency of Responses from Elections Division Staff

Please see attached memos.

Memo Regarding Voter Initiated Photo I.D. Requirement

The Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) has received inquiries regarding an optional “Photo ID” requirement at the request of any elector.

Currently, the law does not authorize nor require optional voter identification for each and every election, once an elector is properly registered.

As such, the “ID Required” notation on poll lists is restricted to those electors that may be subject to Sec. 6.34(2), Wis. Stats., and no others. To use it in any other fashion is a violation of State statues and G.A.B. policy and therefore, expressly prohibited.

Please consult the full memo, attached below.

The April 6, 2010 Spring Election G.A.B.’s Extended Operating Hours

The G.A.B.’s extended hours of operation for the April 6, 2010 Spring Election are as follows:

Extended Operating Hours During the Week of March 28 – April 3, 2010

§ Wednesday, March 31, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

§ Thursday, April 1, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

§ Friday, April 2, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

§ Saturday, April 3, 2010: 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon

Extended Operating Hours During the Week of April 4 - 10, 2010

§ Monday, April 5, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

§ Tuesday, April 6, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

§ Wednesday, April 7, 2010: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

More information is available in the attached memorandum.

ES&S and Premier Divestiture: U.S.A., et al. v. ES&S

In September 2009, Election Systems and Software, Inc. announced the acquisition of Premier Election Solutions, Inc.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit to require ES&S to divest Premier assets because it would otherwise have a 70 percent market share of voting systems used in the United States. In addition, the suit seeks a requirement for ES&S to grant a broad license for use and further development of the AutoMARK to any Premier assets purchaser.

Apparently, ES&S and the US-DOJ have reached a consent decree. It appears imminent that ES&S will divest all Premier assets to a completely separate company. While the terms of the proposed Final Judgment includes language to promote a smooth transition, it is possible that some disruption in service may occur.G.A.B. staff will continue to monitor the situation and keep clerks informed.

A memorandum providing more detail is attached.

GAB Canvass Reporting System announcement

Many of you have heard about the Government Accountability Board’s (G.A.B.) prototype Canvass Reporting System that is designed to make the canvass reporting process more efficient and accurate through the application of the latest technology.

On Thursday, May 13, 2010, in Madison, Board staff previewed the prototype for a group that included 15 County Clerks. We solicited their reactions and comments, as well as their ideas for additional features for the system.

I am pleased to report to you that the County Clerks’ reactions were encouraging, and the prototype was favorably received. Overwhelmingly, the participating County Clerks reported that the system was a “win-win.” They also felt that the online Canvass Reporting System would be beneficial to them as well as to Board staff. Other comments included:

“I’m pleasantly surprised.”
“It’s a piece of cake.”
“I can see it’s a good thing.”
“Looks like a good system.”
“It’s worthwhile.”
“Great!”
“Even better than what I do now.”
“I don’t think it’s that difficult.”
“We like it! We like it!”

After seeing the prototype in action, three of the County Clerks who were skeptics at the outset told us they are now converts. We thank the County Clerks in attendance for their participation.

If you were not one of the County Clerks to see the prototype demonstrated, you will get your chance at the County Clerks’ conference in June. After that demonstration/feedback session, Board staff and County Clerks will pre-test the system prior to it going online for the September Primary and November General elections.

If you have questions about the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System, please do not hesitate to contact me. I may be contacted at 608-267-0715, or at Nat.Robinson@wi.gov. Thank you!

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy, Director and General Counsel

Barbara A. Hansen, SVRS Director

Training classes available in Madison if needed before the April election

Board staff recently completed a multi-week training series for Baseline Chief Inspector training, Municipal Clerk Core training and SVRS Application and Election Management training. If you need this type of training prior to the April election, we have scheduled the following classes in Madison this month:
SVRS Application and Election Management training, March 17 & 18 from 8 am – 5 pm (class time varies):
http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=3036&linkid=1504&locid=47
Municipal Clerk Core training, March 25 from 9 am – 12 pm:
http://elections.state.wi.us/subcategory.asp?linksubcatid=2886&linkcatid=3032&linkid=1504&locid=47
Baseline Chief Inspector training, March 25 from 1 pm – 4 pm:
http://elections.state.wi.us/subcategory.asp?linksubcatid=2872&linkcatid=3028&linkid=1504&locid=47

A More Detailed Cost of Elections Document

A number of questions have arisen lately with respect to financial responsibility for various election-related supplies and procedures. The Elections Specialists, our staff attorneys and the Division Administrator met to try to address county and municipal clerk questions and concerns. This memo addresses supply categories most asked about. Following each category is an explanation of the statutory rationale that dictates the financial responsibility for the category. Included with this memo is a revised “Cost of Elections” document.

Posters (and Other Items Required to be Posted at Polling Place)

GAB-111 Election Fraud
GAB-112 Notice of Cross-over Voting at Partisan Primary
GAB-114 Notice of Cross-over Voting at a Presidential Preference Primary
GAB-115 Voter Qualifications
GAB-116 Instructions for Mail-in and First-Time Voters
GAB-117 Voting Rights
GAB-118 Contact Information
Types B and C Notices

Posters
It is the responsibility of the municipal clerk to equip the polling place for an election. §7.15(1)(a), Wis. Stats. The polling place is required to display certain posters and other documents. §5.35(6), Wis. Stats. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the municipal clerk to provide and pay for the election posters (the GAB forms listed above) required to be displayed at the polling place. If the county provides the posters to a municipality, the municipality must reimburse the county for the cost. The posters are to be of a durable material so that they can be used for many elections. Unless it becomes necessary to revise the content of the posters, there should be no need to purchase new posters or receive new posters from the county for each election. Posters must be displayed in no less than 18 pt. font.

Notices
Each level of government is required to post or publish Types A (Notice of Election and/or Referendum), B (Sample Ballots and Voting Instructions) and C (Notice of Referendum) Notices for their respective elections. §5.68(2), Wis. Stats. Types A, B and C Notices are provided by and paid for by:

The county clerk for federal, state and county elections and referenda,
The municipal clerk for municipal elections and municipal referenda,
The school district clerk for school district elections and school district referenda.

If the notices are combined between levels of government, the cost is pro-rated proportionately.

The municipal clerk is responsible for absentee voting and for polling places. Therefore, the Types D (Hours and Locations of Polling Places) and E (Notices of Absentee Voting) Notices are provided by and paid for by the municipal clerk. §10.06(3)(as), (d), Wis. Stats.

Notices required to be posted at the polling place (Types B, C and D) must be displayed in no less than 18 pt. font.

Ballot Containers and Associated Materials

Ballot Bags
Cable ties
Chain of Custody document (attached to ballot bags)

Ballot bags with ballot certificate (GAB-101), numbered ties/seals and the Chain of Custody document may be addressed altogether, because they are inseparable. Every ballot bag must bear a certificate and be accompanied by a numbered tie/seal and custody must be documented for each bag.

The items listed in this section are provided by and paid for by:

The County Clerk for Federal, State and County Elections
The Municipal Clerk for Municipal Elections
The School District Clerk for School District Elections

This is based on the method by which elections were conducted when the statutes were written. Voting was generally done on paper, hand count ballots. Each level of government was responsible for providing ballots for their respective elections and the bags in which the ballots would be secured.

Where optical scan ballots are used, the County provides the ballots. The ballot cost is prorated between levels of government conducting an election. When the election is concluded, the ballots will be returned to the county for storage. Therefore, the County provides the bags but, again, the cost is prorated among the levels of government conducting an election.

The “chain of custody” document follows the travels of the ballot bag on Election Day. Again, the County provides this document, but the cost is pro-rated among the levels of government conducting an election.

I hope this memo and the expanded “Cost of Elections” document prove helpful to you. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

New Military and Overseas Write-In Ballots

New Military and Overseas Write-In Ballots for Fall Primary and General Elections are now posted here.

Type A Notice for Fall 2010 Election

This email includes information useful to you in preparing for the upcoming partisan primary and general election.

FALL ELECTION

NOTICE OF ELECTION

The Type A Notice of Election contains all the state offices for the partisan primary on September 14, 2010, and the general election on November 2, 2010 and is posted on the G.A.B. website at the same location as this memo. The Type A Notice must be published by all county clerks on May 25, 2010. When a weekly newspaper is chosen for publication, the notice shall appear in the newspaper’s closest preceding issue.
It is not necessary for each county to publish all the information contained in the enclosed Type A Notice. The notice published by each county clerk lists the information regarding the statewide offices, all applicable congressional district offices for which an elector in the county may vote, all applicable legislative offices for which an elector in the county may vote, and all county partisan offices within your respective county. The notice must also include the statement about circulation and filing of nomination papers.
All county clerks are required to send the Type A Notice to each municipal clerk in their county no later than May 25, 2010. Municipal clerks are not required to publish the Type A Notice for the partisan primary and general election. Municipal clerks are required to certify to their county clerks the approximate number of electors in the municipality on July 1, 2010, to help the county clerks determine how many ballots to prepare for the fall election. §5.66 (1), Wis. Stats.

REFERENDA

There are no constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall.

COUNTY CANDIDATE CHECKLISTS

County candidate checklists for ballot access (GABIS-16) and campaign finance (GABIS-17) requirements are located on the G.A.B. website, under “Candidate Checklists,” at the following link: http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=601&linkid=159&locid=47. These checklists were prepared
to assist county candidates in qualifying for ballot placement and meeting their campaign finance requirements. You may reproduce these checklists to give to your candidates along with the proper forms: Campaign Registration Statement (GAB-1 Rev. 12/2009), Nomination Paper for Partisan Office (GAB-168 Rev. 9/2009), and Declaration of Candidacy (GAB-162 Rev. 7/2009). Ballot access forms are located on the G.A.B. website, under “All Forms,” at the following link: http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=579&linkid=159&locid=47 Please insure that you are providing the most recent version of these forms to your candidates.

OTHER INFORMATION

NOTIFICATION OF NONCANDIDACY

For the Fall 2010 Election, any incumbent officeholder who does not intend to seek re-election should file a Notification of Noncandidacy Form (GAB-163) no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 2, 2010. (If your office is closed on Friday, July 2, due to the Fourth of July holiday, the noncandidacy deadline is the next business day.) The GAB-163 is located on the G.A.B. website, under “All Forms,” at the following link:
http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=579&linkid=159&locid=47.
If an incumbent not seeking re-election does not file the notification by the deadline, and does not file ballot access papers by the required statutory deadline to seek re-election, the filing deadline will be extended an additional 72 hours for any other person wishing to run for that office. The deadline is not extended for the incumbent. If an incumbent not seeking re-election files the notification timely, the nomination paper deadline of July 13, 2010 is unchanged. If the incumbent decides to run for office after filing the notification, he or she can run for re-election by filing the appropriate ballot access papers by the normal deadline. We recommend that in early June you send this form, along with a short explanation, to all your incumbents.
If you have any questions concerning this memorandum, please contact an Elections Specialist at 608-266-8005 or gab@wi.gov).

Revised Absentee Ballot Certificate

As you may know, the Voter Protection Act (AB 895) included many initiatives that would have impacted election officials both. One of the initiatives included in the bill addressed streamlining absentee voting by eliminating the documents a voter is required to complete when voting absentee in person in the office of the municipal clerk. Although the bill did not pass before the legislature adjourned, G.A.B. staff and an ad hoc committee of municipal and county clerks convened on Thursday, May 6, 2010 to discuss how this streamlining could still occur without legislative action. The committee’s efforts resulted in a simple, yet effective, solution.

The solution was to add several components to the existing certificate resulting in a combination Absentee Ballot Application/Absentee Ballot Certificate. The title of the certificate has changed to indicate that it also serves as an application for in-person absentee voters. A line has been added (“I further certify that I requested this ballot.”) to make the document an application. A person voting in-person simply completes the voter information (self providers may apply a label) and sign the certification. The elector votes the ballot, seals the ballot in the envelope, and the municipal clerk or clerk staff signs as witness and provides his or her address.

The revised certificate is intended to be used “universally” for all types of absentee voters (“regular” absentee voters voting in person or by mail, military electors and overseas electors). Remember: Only the certificate is “universal.” When the certificate is used on an envelope for in-person absentee voting, the “address side” can be blank. When the revised certificate is used on an envelope sent to an elector to return their absentee ballot by mail, the address side of the envelope must conform to current regulations depending on the type of elector using it (“regular” and overseas electors-GAB-122; military electors-GAB-122m away or GAB-122m not away). A link to the revised certificate (entitled “GAB-122cert”), as well as the three types of envelopes (GAB-122, GAB-122 away, GAB-122 not away) is here: http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=579&linkid=159&locid=47.

You may begin using the revised certificate immediately. If you have existing envelope stock, you may use it up. Next time you place an order, please use the revised certificate. Note: Until you begin using the revised GAB-122cert, in-person absentee voters will be required to provide a written application.

We hope you find this revision helpful to you for in-person absentee voting by eliminating the need for an absentee application. If you have questions, please call our Help Desk (608) 261-2028, and ask for an Elections Specialist.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

GAB-122	Standard Absentee Certificate Envelope	05/2010	Election Administration	Click to download
GAB-122cert	GAB-122cert Certification only	05/2010	Election Administration	Click to download
GAB-122m	Away Absentee Certificate Envelope	05/2010	Election Administration	Click to download
GAB-122m	Not Away Absentee Certificate Envelope	05/2010	Election Administration	Click to download

G.A.B. Training Surveys

In an effort to maximize our resources and better serve our clerk-partners, we are surveying county and municipal clerks to determine who needs Baseline Chief Inspector, Municipal Clerk Core and beginning and advanced SVRS training prior to the fall elections. If you, your staff or your new chief inspectors need training, please complete and submit the appropriate online survey(s) at the links below. Please complete the survey the date indicated on the introductory page of the survey.

Training schedules will be developed based on the results of the surveys. Classes will be held in mid-July through early September. Please disregard if you do not need training.

We would appreciate county clerks sharing these surveys with their municipal clerks without email and any reliers who may be planning to become SVRS self-providers by the fall elections. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Take the Baseline Chief Inspector and Municipal Clerk Core training survey!

Take the SVRS training survey!

Web-Based Election Training System (WBETS) Maintenance of system is complete

The Government Accountability Board has completed server maintenance on the WBETS site and it’s again available for clerks to use.

The new URL is: electiontraining.gab.wi.gov. Please bookmark the new site and delete the site’s former URL: electiontraining.wiscnet.net.

Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk if you would like access to the training site or have any questions: gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
      Government Accountability Board

Important Information for Clerks about the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

I am writing to update you on what we are doing to implement the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act that is commonly referred to simply as MOVE. MOVE is an amendment to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and was designed to address a number of problems experienced by overseas absentee voting. Key among those problems is that military and overseas voters are disenfranchised by lengthy mailing delays. The MOVE Act requires state and local election officials to take a number of steps to address these problems.

Background

The MOVE Act was originally introduced by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) on July 8, 2009, in response to recent studies which showed that military and overseas voters were experiencing significant challenges voting from overseas ranging from never receiving a ballot to having their ballots rejected at the polling place for arriving after the applicable deadline. The bill quickly gained momentum and passed both houses of Congress. It was signed by the President on October 28, 2009. The law is scheduled to be effective beginning with the November 2010 General Election.

Summary of Federal Requirements

The MOVE Act requires a number of significant changes be implemented by both state and local election officials to better accommodate UOCAVA voters, including (but not limited to):

Summary of State Requirements from MOVE Act

1.    Develop procedures governing electronic transmission of voter registration applications, applications for absentee ballot and official absentee ballots.
2.    Develop a method by which a military or overseas elector may state their preference to receive voting materials by electronic means.
3.    Include electronic contact information on all uniform instructions for absentee ballots to be sent by local election officials to military and overseas electors.
4.    Develop a free access system, in coordination with local election officials, for military and overseas electors to determine that their ballot was received by local election officials.

Summary of Local Requirements from MOVE Act

1.    Send voter registration applications, applications for absentee ballot and official absentee ballots by mail or electronic means as indicated by the elector.
2.    Include electronic contact information on all instructional absentee ballot materials sent to military and overseas electors.
3.    Send official absentee ballots to military and overseas electors no later than 45 days before an election for Federal Office.
4.    Provide data regarding the receipt of military or overseas ballots to enable military and overseas voters to confirm the receipt of their ballot via the State’s Voter Public Access (VPA) system.
5.    Accept the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) for all elections for federal office. (Not effective until December 31, 2010).
6.    Provide statistical data on the numbers of absentee ballots transmitted to and received from military and overseas electors.

How Wisconsin Plans to Implement Requirements the MOVE Act

We need your help! We need all municipal and county clerks’ help in order to effectively and successfully implement MOVE in Wisconsin. We need your help in ensuring that Wisconsin’s military and overseas voters will receive, mark and return their absentee ballots in enough time for those ballots to be counted. In its simplest form, that is what MOVE is all about.

In order to comply with the MOVE Act for the November 2010 General Election, local election officials are being asked to make changes to both the business processes and the technology used to track absentee ballots. G.A.B. plans to ensure MOVE Act compliance in the following ways:

1. The VPA website will serve as the State’s free access system where voters can track the status of their absentee ballots.

2. All military and overseas absentee ballots will need to be tracked in the SVRS System in order to appear on VPA. This allows for consistency across jurisdictions and offers seamless service to our military and overseas absentee voters.

3. SVRS Absentee functionality will be revamped to make it easier to use and more straight-forward. The absentee screens will be simplified. The process will be made less complicated and have fewer steps. In addition, SVRS will be improved to allow for the tracking of state write-in ballots in addition to official absentee ballots.

We will be meeting with County Clerks at their Association meeting later this month to discuss their role in assisting with MOVE implementation. We anticipate a final decision on our MOVE implementation plan will be made by July 1, 2010, at which time, additional information will be forthcoming.

If you have questions, please contact David Buerger, our Lead Elections Specialist for MOVE at David.Buerger@wi.gov, or at (608) 267-0951. Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
       Government Accountability Board

       David Buerger
       Lead Elections Specialist for MOVE
       Government Accountability Board

A printable PDF copy of this memo is attached below.

Revised Retention Policy -- Electronic Election Data

On May 18, 2010 Governor Doyle signed into law 2009 Wisconsin Act 397. This Act revises §7.23, Wis. Stats., and exempts municipalities from electronic data retention requirements for tabulating equipment for electronic voting systems approved by the Government Accountability Board for use prior to January 1, 2009, but only for state and local elections.

For any election at which a federal office appears on the ballot, municipalities remain obligated to retain all election materials, including electronic data, for 22 months following the election, longer for certain materials as specified in §7.23, Wis. Stats. In addition, for any state or local elections in municipalities using electronic voting systems approved by the Government Accountability Board for use after January 1, 2009, municipalities must retain electronic data from tabulating equipment for 22 months, longer for certain materials as specified in §7.23, Wis. Stats.

Memory devices or recording units may not otherwise be cleared or erased until 14 days after any primary and 21 days after any other election. Additionally, no device may be cleared or erased while a recount or appeal of a recount determination is pending, nor during the time when an appeal or petition for review may be filed, except by order of a court in which an appeal is pending.

The provisions of 2009 Wisconsin Act 397 are applicable to elections occurring on or after June 2, 2010.

Background

There has been much concern expressed by our clerk partners regarding the cost of transferring election data from memory devices to an electronic medium. Also, the time period for retaining all other election materials for a state and local election did not correlate with 22 month statutory requirements for maintaining the electronic data.
The Government Accountability Board has taken this issue very seriously and has been determined to bring necessary revisions to balance the cost and the requirements of the State and Federal election material retention statutes. This Act maintains the lengthier retention period of 22 months for electronic data from tabulating equipment from state and local elections, but only for systems approved after January 1, 2009, when technology reached a level that allows the transfer and retention to occur in a more cost effective manner.

Revised: Retention Policy -- Electronic Election Data and Destruction of Materials Chart

For 2009 Act 397, the revised G.A.B. Retention Policy -- Electronic Election Data, and revised G.A.B. Destruction of Materials Chart, please click on the links below:

2009 Act 397 can be found at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/acts/09Act397.pdf
June 3, 2010 G.A.B. Retention Policy—Electronic Election Data: http://gab.wi.gov/publications/policies/electronic-election-data
June 3, 2010 G.A.B. Destruction of Materials Chart: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/guidance/election-material-destruction

If you have questions regarding 2009 Act 397 or Election Materials Retention, please contact Ross Hein, Elections Specialist-Voting Systems at (608) 267-3666, or at Ross.Hein@wi.gov. Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board
Shane W. Falk
Staff Counsel
Government Accountability Board
Diane Lowe
Lead Elections Specialist
Government Accountability Board
Ross Hein
Elections Specialist- Voting Systems
Government Accountability Board

Reminders: Notifications of Noncandidacy/Military and Overseas Write-in Ballots

Notification of Noncandidacy (GAB-163 – County Clerks)

In order to avoid an extension of the filing deadline, incumbent county officers who do not intend to run this fall for the office they currently hold must file a Notification of Noncandidacy (GAB-163) no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 2nd Friday before the nomination paper filing deadline. This year, that date is Friday, July 2, 2010. (If your office is closed in observance of the 4th of July holiday, the deadline is the next business day.) If an incumbent fails to timely file a GAB-163, and does not file nomination papers by the filing deadline of 5:00 p.m. on July 13, 2010, the filing deadline is extended 72 hours for that office only. Persons interested in running for the office have an additional 72 hours to file sufficient nomination paper signatures and other ballot access documents to qualify for the ballot. The extension is not granted to the incumbent.

Military and Overseas Write-in Ballots – (Municipal Clerks)

June 16, 2010 is the first day to mail write-in ballots to military and overseas electors who have an absentee ballot request on file with the municipal clerk. Write-in ballots are sent in response to absentee ballot requests from military and overseas electors until official ballots are printed. When official ballots are ready, official ballots are sent in response to new requests. Official ballots are also sent to those electors who were previously sent write in ballots. Remember--Military electors are eligible to vote for all offices at all elections. Overseas electors are eligible to vote for federal offices only. For fall 2010 the federal offices up for election are U.S. Senator and Representative in Congress. Sample write-in ballots for the primary (GAB-242, GAB 243) and general election (GAB-244, GAB-245), as well as the reverse side of the write-in ballots (GAB-240) can be found here: http://gab.wi.gov/forms

Please contact me with any questions.

Thank you.

2010 Summer Training Schedules

Based on the results of the training survey distributed to all county and municipal clerks in May, the G.A.B. Elections Division has scheduled Baseline Chief Inspector and Municipal Clerk Core training classes in a variety of locations from August to early September in preparation for the fall 2010 elections.
We would appreciate county clerks informing any municipal clerks who do not have email of training classes in their respective areas.
Please click on the links below to access the training schedules:

2010 Summer Baseline Chief Inspector Training Schedule

2010 Summer Municipal Clerk Core Training Schedule

Revised Important Information about SVRS and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

Background

This memo covers the changes that will be made to the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), and the new procedures counties and municipalities must follow to track absentee ballots in SVRS. Every SVRS user must use one of the procedures described below to begin tracking military and overseas absentee ballots by August 4, 2010, the deadline for sending state write-in ballots for the November 2010 election.

This is a follow-up to the June 3, 2010 communication to all clerks regarding the implementation of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act. That memo summarized the changes required by MOVE for military and overseas absentee voting in federal elections. The new rules will be effective for the November 2010 election, and include a requirement that municipalities be able to receive absentee requests and send absentee ballots electronically. MOVE also requires that military and overseas voters must have a free access system to find out the status of their absentee ballots.

The G.A.B. has determined that the required free access system will be the Voter Public Access website (VPA), at http://vpa.wi.gov. VPA will pull absentee data directly from SVRS, so it is available online.

Summary of Absentee Modules in SVRS

There will be two methods available to track absentee ballots in SVRS:

Full Absentee – This is the absentee module in SVRS currently in use by many municipalities.

Full Absentee is managed at the municipal level.
Full Absentee tracks all forms of absentee ballots, not just military and overseas. A single application can be entered for multiple elections.
Full Absentee will print absentee labels for valid voters, but will not produce labels if the voter has moved, or has been marked as a felon or deceased.
Use of Full Absentee allows the user to print the Absentee Ballot Log required at every polling place on Election Day.
Finally, Full Absentee will allow every absentee voter in the municipality to track the status of their ballot using the VPA web site.

Absentee Lite – This is a new absentee module being added to SVRS, designed primarily for county users (Providers) who enter data into SVRS for smaller municipalities (Reliers).

Absentee Lite is very basic and easy to use. It allows users to enter absentee tracking information for multiple municipalities at the county level.
Absentee Lite is meant to track only military and overseas voters, and works for a single election only, so ballots must be re-entered for each new election.
Absentee Lite will verify if the voter is valid once the ballot record is entered, the ballot may have already been mailed.
Absentee Lite will not allow printing of the official Absentee Ballot Log.
Absentee Lite will not allow regular absentee voters to track their ballot status online, only military and overseas voters.

How your jurisdiction will be affected by the MOVE requirement to track absentee ballots:

After discussion with municipal and county clerks, G.A.B. has come up with the following requirements for municipalities to ensure compliance with the MOVE Act. There are three groups of affected municipalities:

Municipalities that use SVRS themselves (Self-Providers) and already use the Full Absentee module will have to make only minimal changes. The only new requirement will be that they track state write-in ballots through SVRS. Changes to the software that allow this will be made in July, and training will be made available before the state write-in ballots must be issued on August 4th.
Municipalities that use SVRS themselves (Self –Providers) and do not use SVRS to track absentees may choose to use Absentee Lite or Full Absentee for the November 2010 election. However, all Self-Providers must begin using the Full Absentee module by November 23, 2011, the deadline for sending state write-in ballots to military and overseas voters for the February 2012 Presidential Primary. County Providers will not be required to use Full Absentee. If municipalities choose to use Absentee Lite instead of Full Absentee, they will use it to track military and overseas absentee ballots only.
Municipalities that rely on their County or another Municipality to provide SVRS Services (Reliers) will also be able to rely on their Provider to track military and overseas absentee ballots only through Absentee Lite. Reliers should work with their Providers on procedures to communicate information on when military and overseas ballots have been sent and received. Providers are assisting Reliers to comply with the MOVE Act, but ultimately it is the Relier’s responsibility to make sure the necessary information gets communicated to their Provider.

Training for Absentee Lite will be made available online and should require less than one hour. Training for Full Absentee requires in-person attendance at a four-hour SVRS application training class. Further information about training materials and opportunities will be coming soon.

Clarification on the August 4th deadline: Wisconsin statute §7.15(1)(cs) says that ballots must be sent no later than 90 days before the election (by August 4), or as soon as contests are known, whichever is later. For November 2010, the 90 day deadline applies. The G.A.B. elections calendar says the 90th day before the election is the “first day” to send write-in ballots, but it is also the last day to send ballots to any voters who have a military or overseas absentee request on file. As additional absentee requests come in, you should send a write-in ballot within 24 hours, until official ballots become available.

If you have questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov, or 608-261-2028. Questions may also be addressed to David Buerger, our Lead Elections Specialist for MOVE at David.Buerger@wi.gov, or at (608) 267-0951. Thank you.

A printable copy of this memorandum is attached below.

Combination Certificate Envelope/Application for Absentee Ballot

It has come to our attention that there is confusion among clerks as to the purpose and use of the new combination Certificate Envelope/Application.

The combination Official Absentee Ballot Application/Certification only serves as an application for “in-person” absentee voting. It does not replace a written application (in the form of a letter from the voter or the Application for Absentee Ballot-GAB-121) from absentee voters who do not vote in person in your office. The purpose of the combination certificate is to streamline in-person absentee voting.

Absentee Electors Voting In Person in the Clerk’s Office

When a voter votes in-person in the clerk’s office, the voter may use the Certificate Envelope/Application as their application. The clerk instructs the voter to complete and sign the certificate before issuing the ballot.

Absentee Electors Voting-By Mail

The clerk must have a written application (either a letter or a GAB-121) before issuing an absentee ballot to a voter. The clerk may act on a faxed application. (A person requesting an absentee ballot by email should be instructed to printout the email, sign the request and fax it to the clerk.) The voter is instructed to return the original, signed application with his or her voted ballot. If the original is not received by election day, the ballot is rejected. NOTE: If the elector requests a ballot by fax, and the elector returns the ballot in a certificate envelope that is a combination certificate envelope/application for absentee ballot, the envelope will suffice as an “original application.”

If you have further questions, please contact me.

cc: Nathaniel E. Robinson
Elections Division Administrator
Government Accountability Board

New GAB-190 Fillable Forms Available

The GAB-190 forms for the 2010 September Partisan Primary and November General Election have been posted to the Election Administration Forms section of the G.A.B. website.
The questions have not been changed from the Spring Election form, but the dates have been updated to reflect the appropriate election.
A GAB-190 must be filled out for each reporting unit of a municipality and entered into the WEDCS by the municipality or its provider.
Questions: Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028.

2010 Partisan Primary Election SVRS Election Checklist I

The 2010 Partisan Primary Election (in SVRS) is now ready for engagement.

County clerks may now inherit the 2010 Partisan Primary Election and notify the self-providers in their county.

Once the election is inherited, contests and candidates for the 2010 Partisan Primary Election can be entered.

Counties can now check Milestone #3 for the 2010 Partisan Primary Election, no later than August 6, 2010. Immediately notify Self-Providers that Milestone #3 has been completed at the county level.

SVRS Election Checklist I, 2010 Partisan Primary Election is on website. Click on the link below.

NEW Checklist I is now available for the November 2010 General Election

The November 2, 2010 General Election is now created in SVRS. Counties and municipalities can begin inheriting the 2010 General Election.
All current military and overseas absentee electors need to have a state write-in ballot sent to them by August 4, 2010. All new military and overseas absentee ballot requests need to be sent a state write-in ballot within 24 hours of receipt until the official ballots are delivered.
In compliance with the federal MOVE Act, all military and overseas absentee ballots need to be tracked in SVRS.
The New Checklist I is attached below.

If you need further information, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

Survey for Clerks about Communications and Elections

I am writing to you to ask that you participate in an online survey dealing with the following three topics:

Review of the G.A.B. Communication Protocol
Review of the 2010 Spring Election Cycle
Preparing for the 2010 Fall Election Cycle

First, one of the key developments of the 2009 Listening Sessions conducted by G.A.B. staff was a new Communication Protocol that was implemented on October 1, 2009. This new protocol was developed collaboratively with clerks in an effort to more effectively manage pertinent information in a more efficient and organized manner. We would like your input on how you feel about the effectiveness of this Protocol in keeping you informed on important election information but not overwhelming you.

Second, the 2010 Spring Election Cycle has come and gone and we would like you to let us know how we did in providing you with service and support during the February 16 and April 6, 2010, elections, and whether you feel our extended hours schedule met your needs. We would especially like to know of any areas you feel we can improve upon.

Third, we would like your input on preparing for what all indications point to as a very busy Fall Election Cycle. We want you to tell us what you need from us.

Please take a few minutes of your time to answer the questions in the survey. You may access the survey by clicking on this link: Survey. Your responses will help us determine how we can better serve you. We ask that you complete the brief survey by close of business on Monday, August 23, 2010. Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

2010-2011 Conducting Local Elections WisLine Program schedule available

The 2010-2011 Conducting Local Elections WisLine Program schedule and registration information is available on the University of Wisconsin-Extension Local Government Center website.

The brochure will be mailed to all county and municipal clerk offices by the Local Government Center the last week of August or the first week of September. Please note that the first WisLine Program, “Important Points to Remember for the Partisan Primary,” is scheduled for Wednesday, September 1, 2010.

All WisLine Programs are scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Each of the WisLine Programs listed counts 1.5 hours toward municipal clerk recertification, and the starred programs also count 1.5 hours each toward chief inspector recertification.

If you are unable to attend a live WisLine Program, you can order a WisLine Materials Bundle consisting of a CD recording of the live program and the written materials. Information on how to order a materials bundle from the Local Government Center is listed on the program brochure.

If you have any questions, please contact me at allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033.

Pronunciation Guide for the September 14, 2010, Partisan Primary

It has come to our attention through voting equipment vendors as well as county clerks, that the Pronunciation Guide for the September 14, 2010, Partisan Primary contains minor pronunciation errors.

Temporary staff were tasked with assistance in creating the Guide, and although the completed Guide was vetted through our regular Election Administration staff, some errors were apparently inadvertently overlooked and regrettably remain. It is the consensus of staff that although some pronunciations are not perfectly correct, the mispronunciations are not substantial and do not appear to be misleading. We will therefore, use the Guide “as is” for the September 14, 2010, Partisan Primary.

Rest assured, we will take a closer look at the candidate names for the November 2, 2010, General Election to ensure all the candidate names in the November Guide contain proper pronunciations. We will also update our guidelines for developing and improving future Pronunciation Guides.

Thank you for your understanding in the matter.

Guidance on Two Issues Concerning Military Write-In Ballots

Two questions with respect to Military Electors have been brought to our attention. We appreciate the confusion when reading and trying to interpret statues that seem to conflict. Government Accountability Board Staff has reviewed the applicable statutes and is issuing formal guidance outlined below.

Question 1 – Should all military electors who have requested an absentee ballot be sent a write-in ballot regardless of whether they are stationed in-country or overseas?

Yes. Regardless of their location, all military electors (as defined in §6.22(1)(b), Wis. Stats.) who have requested an absentee ballot must be sent a write-in absentee ballot beginning 90 days before each primary and election. §6.25(2), Wis. Stats. Note: Civilian employees of the United States and civilians officially attached to a uniformed service must be serving outside the United States in order to qualify as a military elector.

Question 2 – What criteria must the returned write-in absentee ballot meet in order to be counted?

A write-in ballot can only be counted if (a) it is submitted from a location outside the U.S. and (b) the elector submitting the ballot does not submit an official ballot within the time prescribed in §6.87 (6). §6.25(4), Wis. Stats.

If the official ballot has not been received, consider whether the write-in ballot meets the criterion that the write-in ballot must be submitted from outside the U.S. The Military Postal Service sometimes routes overseas mail through a U.S.-based military base which shows an in-country postal date stamp. Therefore, it is not always easy to tell with certainty where the military mail originated, overseas or within the states. If the postmark on the write-in ballot indicates that the envelope was mailed from within the U.S., check to see where the ballot was sent in the first place. If it was sent overseas, it is likely it is coming back from overseas. If the origin of the ballot is still in question, the ballot should be challenged and initially counted.

Reconciling the Statutory Discrepancy

Since §6.25(1), and §6.25(4), Wis. Stats., conflict, the following instruction must be included with the uniform instructions when sending a write-in ballot to an “in-country” military elector:

“As a military elector, you are receiving a write-in absentee ballot pursuant to Secs. 6.22(1)(b) and 6.25(1), Wis. Stats. However, please note that a write-in absentee ballot from a military elector will only be counted as valid, if it is submitted from a location outside the United States (returned to the Clerk from a location outside the United States.) Sec. 6.25(4), Wis. Stats. An official absentee ballot will be sent to you when they are printed.”

We hope this guidance is helpful. If you have questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028, or at GABHelpDesk@wisconsin.gov. Thank you.

Prepared by Government Accountability Board Staff
September 2010

September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary G.A.B.’s Extended Operating Hours

In response to our online survey on which G.A.B. extended operating hours before, during and after elections would best meet your needs, I am pleased to announce our extended hours of operation, outside of the G.A.B.’s normal hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for the upcoming September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary.

The G.A.B.’s hours of operation for the September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary are as follows:

Extended Operating Hours During the Week of September 5 - 11, 2010

Wednesday, September 8, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 9, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday, September 10, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 11, 2010: 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon

Extended Operating Hours During the Week of September 12 - 18, 2010

Monday, September 13, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010: 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

You may contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov during our hours of operation. We are happy to provide these extra hours in case additional assistance is needed to ensure a successful election. If needed, I may be contacted at (608) 267-0715, or Nat.Robinson@wi.gov. Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Guidance Regarding Voter Data Requests

The attached memo responds to clerks' requests for guidance regarding a voter data request from the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
Municipalities must respond to the request by providing the names and identification numbers of absentee voters for the November election, applying charges as outlined in the memorandum. The G.A.B. is not responding to requests submitted to municipalities.
Municipalities are not required to treat the request as a continuing request, but may do so if they wish.

Staff of the Government Accountability Board is available to assist with specific questions regarding voter data requests. If you have any questions regarding this information, please feel free to contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System Protocol

The new Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) Canvass Reporting System Prototype that was unveiled at the Wisconsin County Clerks Association’s 105th Annual Training Symposium on June 22, 2010, will be completed for clerks in time to be used for the 2010 Fall Election Cycle. The migration of the canvass process to a web-based, online platform will significantly improve Board staff’s administrative efficiency and effectiveness. It is anticipated that this new canvass system will improve accuracy, counties’ Boards of Canvassers administrative processes, and it will measurably reduce the number of Board staff and amount of staff time required to certify State and Federal canvass results.

In order for the canvass process to run smoothly, certain standard practices must be adhered to for consistency and compliance with state statutes. These standard practices will also ensure the important effect of reducing County Clerks and Board staff time certifying canvass results. The protocols in this memorandum become effective with the process for certifying the September 2010 Partisan Primary Canvass results.

Background

Using funds received from the $2 million election data collection grant that was awarded to Wisconsin by the U. S. Election Assistance Administration, the Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) staff worked with Department of Administration/Division of Enterprise Technology (DET) to effectuate changes to the canvass process. DET developed a web-based, online canvass application. The automated canvass process will set the stage for election night reporting.

On Thursday, May 13, 2010, a Clerk Advisory Committee reviewed the new canvass reporting process. The clerks had the opportunity for hands-on exploration, testing and experimentation with the process. All of the clerks in attendance found the new canvass easy to use and were receptive to utilizing it for the Fall 2010 election events. The clerks also thought it would ease the administrative processes at municipal and County Clerk offices.
On Tuesday, June 22, 2010, the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System prototype was presented at the Wisconsin County Clerks’ Association during their 105th Annual Summer Symposium in Shawano. 60 of the 72 County Clerks were in attendance. The prototype was enthusiastically received by all.

Beginning Monday, August 6, 2010, the G.A.B. Canvass Development Team commenced training selected County Clerks on the file transfer function of the new G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System. This first phase of training has gone smoothly and the participating County Clerks in Dane, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Brown and Winnebago Counties were able to provide valuable feedback to the G.A.B. Canvass Team about improvements that will make the system even more efficient and effective. Additional training for County Clerks is scheduled before the September 14 Partisan Primary (see accompanying memorandum).

The protocols outlined below become effective with the process for certifying the September 2010 Partisan Primary Canvass. In many cases, the standard policies and protocols described have been in place for many years, but they were not always consistently followed.

Standards

1. Format of Canvass Report

Currently, canvass reports from the counties arrive at the G.A.B. in various electronic and paper formats. Board staff must manipulate the electronic files in order to assemble the results into G.A.B.’s current canvass database, SWEBIS II. Approximately 70% of County Clerks prepare canvass reports manually and spend an inordinate amount of time struggling to assure that the format is correct, particularly in partisan primaries.

Starting with the September 14, 2010, Partisan Primary, all County Clerks are required to use the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System for reporting official election results. The new online canvass platform provides a uniform canvass format for the County Clerks to use. The online system will reduce errors and mistakes, and eliminate the need for time-consuming manual intervention and follow-up by Board staff.

Starting with the September 14, 2010, Partisan Primary, all County Clerks must use the “Certification Report” from the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System for the official canvass report. The official canvass report contains three separate sections: The Tabular Statement of Votes Cast; the Summary Statement; and, the Certification with signatures of the members of the board of canvassers. This report assures standard reporting in a format that provides consistency and assurance that voter information entered into the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System is certified by the appropriate county board of canvassers.

A. Tabular Statement of Votes Cast

The Tabular Statement of Votes Cast is a detail of the number of votes cast for each candidate in each ward or combination of wards for each office or referendum. Write-in votes should be summed together in one scattering column for each office by the County Clerk when reporting federal and state office results. If any votes are rejected, the board of canvassers shall specify the reasons in the minutes of the board of canvassers meeting.

Referendum question results are reported by “Yes” votes and “No” votes. There is no scattering column for a referendum question.

B. Summary Statement

The summary statement is a tally of the Tabular Statement of Votes Cast. Each statement shall include the total number of votes cast in the county for each office; the names of all ballot candidates for each office, the number of votes cast for each candidate in each office, the number of scattering votes cast in each office, and the number of votes cast for and against any question submitted at a referendum.

C. Certification of the Board of Canvassers

The certification is signed by the three members of the county board of canvassers. If corrections must be made to the tabular statement, canvassers should not sign the certificate until the corrections are made in the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System, the report is rerun and corrections verified by the members of the board of canvassers. The board of canvassers certifies that the results contained in the canvass report are true and accurate, and the certificate includes any corrections made to the report during the canvass meeting.

2. Reporting Units

Currently, County Clerks provide lists of reporting units to Board staff for tedious, manual entry into the legacy election administration application (SWEBIS II) when there is an election for state or federal offices. Wisconsin’s 3,600 reporting units are wards or combinations of wards used to identify the group of voters to which votes are attributed.

Like the Wisconsin Election Data Collection System, the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System uses an import utility to obtain reporting unit information from the SVRS system. It is important that reporting unit information be entered into the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) in a consistent and uniform manner in accordance with the standards listed below.

A. All wards in a county must be accounted for, even if there is no one living there and no votes will be cast in that reporting unit. This standard requires that every parcel of land in the state be identified with a ward number, and that a particular election is set-up in SVRS to include every ward in the state for that election.

B. Reporting unit names must identify a ward or combination of wards. Reporting units must not be reported by aldermanic districts. If a reporting unit is a combination of wards that also encompass an aldermanic district, the name of the reporting unit may include the indication such as “Wards 4 & 5 (Ald 1).” At no time may the aldermanic district number come before the ward identifiers in the reporting unit name.

C. If a municipality is not split by wards, one reporting unit is created in SVRS with the label “Ward 1.”

D. If a municipality has more than one ward but will report results in a single reporting unit, the reporting unit in SVRS is created with a label such as “Wards 1-7.”

E. Ward combinations must be reported sequentially by leading number in the reporting unit name. For example: Wards 1 & 2, 5 – 8 10; followed by Wards 3 & 4, and then, Ward 9.

F. If a municipality lies in more than one county, a ward number should not be repeated in each county. The wards in a municipality should be sequential, regardless of which county the municipality lies. For example: Ward 1 in County A, Wards 2 & 3 in County B and Ward 4 in County C.

G. In partisan primaries or elections, reporting units cannot include wards that are in different assembly, state senate or congressional districts.

The G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System provides tools for County Clerks to use to verify that all wards in the county are entered correctly in SVRS, that the reporting unit naming standards are being used correctly and that no reporting unit contains more than one assembly, state senate or congressional district for a partisan primary or election. County Clerks are responsible for working with the municipal clerks in their county to assure that proper standards are being followed.

If you need further information about these standards, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

cc:     Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

    Barbara Hansen
    SVRS Director
    Government Accountability Board

    Diane Lowe
    Lead Elections Specialist
    Government Accountability Board

Training Opportunities for the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System

I am pleased to announce training opportunities for the use of the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System. This is the new system that was demonstrated at the County Clerk Conference in June 2010. Since we met with you during your 105th Annual Training Symposium on June 22, based on clerks feedback, the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System development team has been busy making and testing refinements to the system.

The team is about finished with the changes and the system currently is being further tested. We are poised to provide a webinar training for County Clerks during the week of September 5, 2010. Our trainers are completing training materials and have set the following schedule for training.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 – First day for county clerks to view a recorded training presentation on the entry of results into the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System. The presentation will be viewable from the G.A.B. website (http://gab.wi.gov). Written instructions will also be available on the website. This recorded training can be accessed at your convenience at your desktop, day or night.
Friday, September 10, 2010, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Pre-Election Webinar to allow county clerks to ask questions and receive answers about the canvass process, allowing for open dialog. Details on accessing the Webinar will be forthcoming.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Post-Election Webinar to allow county clerks to ask questions and receive answers about the canvass process, allowing for open dialog. Details on accessing the Webinar will be forthcoming.
Staff will be available to answer individual questions as county clerks use this canvass reporting system. Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

Attached to this communication is a canvass standards memorandum outlining the standards that should be adhered to for the September 14, 2010, Partisan Primary. In order for the canvass process to run smoothly, certain standard practices must be followed for consistency and compliance with state statutes. These standard practices will reduce both County Clerks and Board staff time certifying canvass results.

The County Clerks who saw the new canvass prototype demonstrated at the WCCA meeting on June 22 found the system easy to use and gave positive feedback. These clerks also thought it would improve the efficiency of the administrative processes at both the municipal and county clerk offices.

We are committed to certifying the primary results before the September 28, 2010 deadline. Your cooperation in using the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System will enable us to certify candidates for the General Election ballot and enable you to print your ballots sooner.

cc:     Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

    Barbara A. Hansen
    SVRS Director
    Government Accountability Board

Impact of Likely U.S. Department of Justice Lawsuit on Wisconsin Election Officials Compliance with the MOVE Act

For all that you do to make sure voters maintain their rights to cast their votes and have them counted, for all you do to ensure Wisconsin’s elections are conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner with the highest possible integrity, we salute you and we thank you.

I know it is rather late to raise a new issue this close to the Election, and I would not ask for your assistance if I absolutely did not have to, but I need your immediate cooperation! I ask for your continued support on a matter that was shared with us this past Friday, August 27. As you may have heard, the Government Accountability Board has been threatened with a lawsuit by the U. S. Department of Justice (U.S. DoJ) because the Department of Defense determined that our current absentee ballot procedures for the November General Election do not meet the necessary requirements to comply with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act. We are discussing a resolution to this lawsuit with U.S. DoJ.

Because the litigation impacts the absentee balloting phase of Wisconsin’s election administration process, and because municipal clerks and many county clerks who serve as providers manage the absentee process, both the Government Accountability Board and clerks will be affected by the lawsuit and the anticipated resolution.

In order to comply with the provisions of the anticipated consent decree, I am writing to ask clerks to take immediate action to ensure that procedures for issuing military and overseas absentee ballots for the General Election required by state and Federal law are fully met. We are contacting you now because we expect the consent decree and Federal court order to require state, county, and local election officials to slightly accelerate the process of certifying results of the September Partisan Primary and delivering General Election absentee ballots to military and overseas voters.

Background

The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, signed by the President in October 2009, requires that military and overseas voters must be given a 45-day transit period before the General Election in order to receive, mark, and return ballots in time for them to be counted. Also, the MOVE Act requires that military and overseas voters must be able to track the status of their absentee ballots through a free online access system.
In Wisconsin, absentee ballots sent to military and overseas voters and their status must be entered into the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). Managing these ballots via SVRS ensures they will automatically be displayed online on the G.A.B.’s Voter Public Access (VPA) website (http://vpa.wi.gov). Therefore, starting with the November 2, 2010 General Election, all municipalities must record military and overseas voters in SVRS using the Absentee functionality provided. A memo describing the new requirements was sent to all clerks on July 12, 2010, and is available on the G.A.B. website for reference.

Currently, Wisconsin cannot comply with the 45-day requirement due to our late Partisan Primary. Although the State’s Write-in Absentee Ballots are required to be sent out 90 days before Election Day, the official ballot is required by statute to be available 31 days before the General Elections; thus, leaving Wisconsin with a 16-day deficit. Current statutes provide that absentee ballots of military voters must be counted if they are received no later than ten days after the General Election, provided that ballots are postmarked by Election Day. Overseas voters are not allowed the same benefit under the statutes. The Department of Defense (DoD) rejected G.A.B.’s request for a waiver in part due to fact that the State’s write-in ballots list only contests, not candidates. The pending lawsuit and the anticipated resolution will mandate changes in current absentee ballot procedures for the November 2, 2010, General Election. We will confirm final details as soon as they are finalized by a Federal court.

Action Needed

1. We are committed to making the following changes with your cooperation to ensure absentee ballots are transmitted to military and overseas voters as far in advance as possible for the November 2, 2010 Election.

A. The G.A.B. will complete its September Partisan Primary Canvass Certification early, on or before September 27, 2010.

B. Counties must have the official ballot printed immediately after the canvass has been certified. Our goal is to have these ballots distributed to municipal clerks and sent to military and overseas voters on or before October 1, 2010.

C. We encourage you to set-up your November ballot proofs in advance of our certification so you can proof the version that goes to your printer as soon as you receive our certification. We also encourage you to consult with your printer and provide advance notice that printing services will be require a few days earlier than may have been planned.

D. We anticipate that military and overseas ballots will have an extended deadline for the November 2010 election.

E. Please note that these procedures may be slightly revised by a final court order resolving this matter. All municipal and county clerks should watch for further communications regarding the issuance, tracking, and acceptance of absentee ballots of military and overseas voters for the November 2010 General Election.

2. Municipal clerks with military or overseas voters, and SVRS Providers for their Reliers, must ensure that the following tasks are completed in SVRS.

A. All Reliers must inform their SVRS Provider of the following information:

-- The names of any military or overseas voter;
-- Whether they are identified as military or overseas;
-- The date the state write-in ballot was sent to the voter;
-- The date and method (via mail, via email, via fax) by which the official ballot was sent; and
-- The date any absentee ballots from military and overseas voters are returned.
Please note that this process must be kept current as new absentee ballot requests are received.

B.    All Providers and Self-Providers must immediately inherit the 2010 General Election and mark Milestone #2 in SVRS, if they have not done so already. Counties should immediately inherit and mark Milestone #2 for all Relier municipalities.
C.    All Providers (for their Reliers) and Self-Providers must open the voter record of each military and overseas voter and enter “Military” or “Overseas” in the UOCAVA Status field, as appropriate.
D.    All Providers (for their Reliers) and Self Providers must track military and overseas voters’ state write-in and official absentee ballot status for the November 2010 General Election in SVRS. We will be required to provide regular reports and updates to the U. S. Department of Justice. It is important that you keep the ballot status for military and overseas voters current in SVRS.
E.    Providers must use the Absentee Lite application in SVRS; directions are available on the G.A.B. website (gab.wi.gov). Some Self-Providers may use Absentee Lite.
F.    Self-Providers who use the Full Absentee functionality (those who already produce ballot labels out of SVRS for their absentee voters) should not use Absentee Lite for tracking military and overseas absentee voters. Instead they should use the new quick task in SVRS called “Send Write-In Ballots.” Directions on sending write-in ballots through Full Absentee are in the Absentee Ballots chapter of the SVRS Training Manual, available on the G.A.B. website.

3. All municipal clerks who currently do not have any military and overseas absentee voters should immediately communicate with the G.A.B. to let us know that.

A.    Send an email to the G.A.B. Help Desk (GABHelpDesk@wi.gov) or fax a message at
    (608) 267-0500 to confirm that you have no military or overseas voters for the November 2010 election.
B.    Once you receive an absentee ballot request from a military or overseas voter, you must follow the directions in Item #2.

4. The G.A.B. will use every method at its disposal to ensure compliance with State and Federal requirements for military and overseas voters.

Step-by-step directions on how to enter absentee ballots into SVRS are located in the Absentee Lite, Absentee Applications, and Absentee Ballots chapters of the SVRS Manual, and these chapters are available on the G.A.B. website at http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/education-training/svrs-manual.

We very much appreciate the extra efforts that municipal and county clerks make to ensure our military and overseas voters get the opportunity to cast their ballots. Please cooperate and complete the tasks described above as soon as possible. We have emphasized to Federal officials the outstanding track record of Wisconsin’s local election officials in serving military and overseas voters, which puts us in a strong position to comply with the new Federal requirements. With your continued efforts we can demonstrate again that Wisconsin is a leader in accommodating those voters, and that we can achieve that success within the framework of local control of election administration.

If you need further information, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov,
or at (608) 261-2028. Thank you so very much.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy / Director and General Counsel / Government Accountability Board

Checklist II for the September 2010 Partisan Primary

Checklist II for the September Partisan Primary is now available, and is attached at the bottom of this memo. This checklist covers activities from the close of registration through the Partisan Primary Election Day.

Note that voter registration closed on August 25, 2010. Voters after the close of registration can only register in person at the clerk’s office or at the polling place on Election Day, and must show proof of residence .
Clerks should make sure that poll books do not cross Assembly, State Senate, and/or Congressional District lines. Poll books should follow Reporting Units which cannot contain more than one Assembly, State Senate, or Congressional district. Polling Place Assignment Plans must be set up to match the Reporting Unit Plans in SVRS.

As you know, Checklist II is normally sent at the close of registration. I would like to take a moment to apologize to our valued clerk partners that Board staff was not able to distribute it at that time. Board staff was unfortunately occupied with the announcement of the Department of Defense denial of Wisconsin’s waiver request for the MOVE Act and subsequent negotiations with the US Department of Justice over the last few weeks. Consequently, Checklist II did not go out at the scheduled time. I apologize for any inconvenience that this delay has caused.

At this time, I would like to announce that we have revised the SVRS Election Checklist process for the November 2010 General Election, to make the checklist process simpler and more efficient for clerks.

A new Checklist I for the General Election was sent to SVRS Users on July 29, 2010, when the November Election was set up in SVRS by G.A.B.
A new Checklist II for the General Election will be sent out in October after Milestone 3 has been checked in SVRS for the November Election by G.A.B.
Checklist III for the General Election will be sent after Election Day, as usual.

We hope this change helps keep clerks better informed regarding the election set-up done by the G.A.B., and make the process as clear as possible. We look forward to your feedback on the new process and new checklists being used for November General Election.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. We look forward to a successful September Partisan Primary!

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy

Director and General Counsel

Government Accountability Board

Barbara A. Hansen

SVRS Director

Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

Order to Preserve Election Records from 2008 General Election

The Government Accountability Board has issued an order to preserve certain election records from the November 2008 General Election which is attached below. This order does not affect the destruction of ballots from that election, and does not affect your preparation for the September Partisan Primary.

After reviewing records in the Wisconsin and Minnesota statewide voter registration systems, the Board has referred a number of potential voter fraud cases to district attorneys for further investigation and prosecution, involving residents who appear to have voted in both states at the November 2008 General Election. The Board is also initiating similar joint efforts with other surrounding states.
Under current statutes, certain election records may be destroyed after 22 months from the 20008 General Election. The Board has been advised by district attorneys that it may be necessary to have access to original election and voter records to successfully prosecute voter fraud cases, requiring those records to be retained beyond the 22-month retention date.
The Board's order requires that local election officials retain the following original election records related to the 2008 General Election until further notice of the Board: voter registration forms, poll lists, absentee ballot applications, absentee ballot certificate envelopes, absentee voter logs, and GAB-104 Inspectors' Statements. The order does not require retention of ballots.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and please contact us if you have any questions.

Friendly Reminder – Reiteration of Basic Polling Place Behavior -- 2010 September 14 Partisan Primary and November 2 General Election

As public rhetoric increases about voter fraud, intimidation, discrimination, and rumors we are hearing about some individuals' intent to challenge electors during the September Primary and the November General Election based on non-statutory grounds, we have been asked by Legislators and other organizations to reiterate the law and guidance regarding challenges and to ensure the orderly administration of elections within the polling place.

Additional reiterations will be forthcoming prior to the November 2 General Election but for now, please consider the following existing guidance as a friendly reminder:

Ensure the Constitutional right of every eligible resident of this State to cast their vote independently and privately regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, or religion, and without discrimination, suppression, interference or intimidation.
If any form of voter intimidation occurs inside the polling place such as the voter being asked to show a picture ID in order to receive the ballot, or if the voter is challenged on grounds that are not specifically delineated in strict accordance with Wis. Stats. §§ 6.92 - 6.97, such as property foreclosures, outstanding parking tickets, a non-HAVA match and other such grounds that are not recognized in the Statutes, the voter should be directed to the Chief Inspector.
The Chief Inspector should summarize all anomalies and incidents on the Inspectors Statements (GAB-104 Form).
If the voter is not satisfied with the resolution by the Chief Inspector of a problem experienced in the polling place, the voter should be directed to contact the municipal clerk, the district attorney, and the G.A.B. office. On each election day, we operate a Command Central Clerk Support and Voter Resolution Center from 6:30 a.m. until at least 9:00 p.m., or until the calls cease.
We have had a “complaint” section on our website since the 1990’s (http://gab.wi.gov/complaints), and have had a toll-free voter helpline, 1-866-VOTE-WIS, since implementing the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Voters and members of the public may call us at the toll-free helpline, or they may e-mail us at gab@wi.gov.
GAB-111 and GAB-117 forms, along with others, are required to be posted in each of Wisconsin’s polling places. Form GAB-111 is a notice about Election Fraud. Form GAB-117 advises voters about Federal laws prohibiting voter intimidation and unequal treatment of voters.
As we did before the 2008 November Presidential and General Election, we are reaching out to the major Wisconsin political parties to remind them as they educate and train their respective election observers, to include information not just on potential acts of fraud, but also on avoiding making challenges unrelated to voter qualifications and refrain from engaging in activities that have the effect of intimidation of voters or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, language, or religion.
Also, as we did in 2008, our training to District Attorneys, in coordination with the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office, includes similar information, and the importance of giving attention and serious consideration to these types of cases once they are referred.
Finally, as was the case in 2008, our Election Observer Rule will be in effect for both the September 14 Primary and the November 2 General Election.

Once again, this is not new information but a reiteration of existing protocol. Please ensure that your Chief Inspectors and poll workers are aware of these refreshers. Thank you for your usual cooperation.

cc:   Kevin J. Kennedy
   Director and General Counsel
   Government Accountability Board

Friendly Reminder - September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary Canvass

We are excited about the new Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) Canvass Reporting System and based on feedback received from you, you are too! As you prepare to complete the September 14 Partisan Primary Canvass and use the new system to report your canvass results to us, we encourage you to explore the system now so you are familiar with it, and if you discover problems, we can resolve them expeditiously.

We have thoroughly tested the new system, but using it for the first time for the September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary Canvass and on a statewide basis, it has its unknowns. All County Clerks are required to use the new Canvass Reporting System for reporting canvass results to us. I want to summarize the steps we are taking to be at your beck and call should you need technical support.

On Wednesday, September 8, we produced recorded training and archived it at http//gab.wi.gov.
On Friday, September 10 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. we will held a pre-election webinar to answer questions.
On Wednesday, September 15, from 2:00-3:00 p.m., we will hold a post-election webinar to answer questions.
Also beginning Wednesday through Tuesday, September 15-21 respectively, staff will be on-call and available to answer your questions. Please contact our Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov, or at (608) 261-2028
Please let us know as soon as you possibly can if you are experiencing difficulty with the new system.

Even though the canvass is not statutorily due to us until Tuesday, September 21, given our need to comply with the U. S. Department of Justice’s consent decree regarding Wisconsin’s compliance with the MOVE Act, your early submissions will be greatly appreciated.

If you have questions or wish to discuss, I may be contacted at (608) 267-0715, or at Nat.Robinson@wi.gov. Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Request Copies for Inspectors’ Statements (GAB-104 Forms) 2010 September 14 Partisan Primary and November 2 General Election

I am writing to request that you send copies of your Inspectors’ Statements (GAB-104 Forms) that will be completed during the 2010 September 14 Partisan Primary by October 8, and the November 2 General Election by November 19. We ask that you invoice us for copying and mailing fees.

Background: As part of our ongoing efforts to assess the effectiveness and needed improvement of all of our core election administration business practices, following the November 2008 General Election, we decided to review Inspectors Statements. As part of the $2 million dollar Federal grant (WEDCS), we solicited the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Political Science Department’s assistance. (http://gab.wi.gov/publications/reports/polling-place-incidents-2008).

21 counties submitted statements, covering 1,466 polling places that accounted for 53% of the total votes cast in the November 2008 General Election. Because our collection of 2008 Statements was incomplete, we considered this a pilot review that provided a descriptive background and foundation on which a more thorough study of a larger collection of Statements. Although the 2008 sample is not perfectly representative of the State, it covers a wide range of communities and provides a fair portrayal of the range of incidents reported by poll workers. Starting with the 2010 Fall Election Cycle, we want to gather 100% of Inspectors Statements completed during all statewide elections, to continue our ongoing review of what happens in polling places on Election Day.

As public rhetoric is on the increase about voter fraud, intimidation, discrimination, and rumors we are hearing about intent to challenge voters during the upcoming elections based on non-statutory grounds, clear and complete documentation of such incidences captured on Inspectors Statements is essential. Inspectors Statements are intended to provide a comprehensive account of potential and actual problems, and administrative responses at each polling place. Aside from firsthand observations at the polls, there is probably no better source for understanding what happens on Election Day. The Statements offer the opportunity to understand why particular incidents occurred and how pollworkers’ responses to them might be improved.

Request: We would appreciate it if you would send us copies of Inspectors Statements completed during the September 14 Primary by October 8, and Statements for the November 2 General Election by November 19. Once again, we ask that you invoice us for copying and mailing fees.

If you need further information, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov, or at (608) 261-2028. Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

Friendly Reminder – September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary Canvass

To: All County Clerks

Milwaukee County Board of Election Commissioners

From: Nathaniel E. Robinson

Elections Division Administrator

Government Accountability Board

Subject: Friendly Reminder – September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary Canvass

§ A memorandum regarding the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System as you prepare to complete the September 14 Partisan Primary Canvass and use the new system to report your canvass results to us is available on the Recent Communications page: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1321

§ New!!! Based on clerk feedback, there now is a report called “Canvass Worksheet by Reporting Unit.” Once you have entered results into the Canvass Reporting System, you can print this report that allows you to see results for all offices and candidates by reporting unit.

§ On Wednesday, September 15, from 2:00-3:00 p.m., we will hold a post-election webinar to allow you to ask questions and receive answers from Board staff.

§ Also, beginning Wednesday through Tuesday, September 15-21 respectively, staff will be on-call and available to answer your questions during our normal business hours.

§ Please let us know as soon as you possibly can if you are experiencing difficulty with the new system.

Please contact our Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov, or at (608) 261-2028, if you have any questions or require our assistance.

Thank you.

Changes in Processing Military and Overseas Voters

Today, we were informed that the federal court for the Western District of Wisconsin entered an order to resolve the lawsuit based upon a consent decree reached by U.S. Department of Justice and the Board, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The approved court order is designed to ensure that military and overseas voters will have more time to receive and transmit absentee ballots than is allowed under existing state statutes. The Government Accountability Board has been in discussions with the U.S. DOJ to reach an agreement that would satisfy its concerns and also create a solution that could be realistically achieved by state and local election officials.

Attached is an order issued by the Government Accountability Board to achieve compliance with the MOVE Act and the Federal court order, which requires several changes to procedures followed by municipal and county election officials for the November 2, 2010 General Election, with regard to processing absentee ballots of military and overseas voters.

We are finalizing step-by-step checklists and guides for county and municipal clerks which we will transmit this week. We understand that you may have questions after reviewing the attached order, but we believe many details will be clarified after we issue this additional guidance.

We appreciate that these changes required by the federal lawsuit are coming late in the process, and thank you for assistance in complying with the attached order.

Attachment

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
        Government Accountability Board

        Michael R. Haas
        Staff Attorney
        Government Accountability Board.

September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary In Process (A Dynamic Running Tally)

Congratulations and hearty thanks to the early users of the new G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System! As of Monday, September 20, all 72 counties County Clerks are currently using the new G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System.

Guidance to Municipal Clerks for MOVE Act Compliance for the 2010 November 2, 2010 General Election

Yesterday, the Federal court for the Western District of Wisconsin entered an order to resolve the lawsuit based upon a MOVE Act consent decree reached by U.S. DOJ and the Board, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. We sent a copy of the signed order to you last evening.

Now that the consent decree is law, in this communication, we are sharing the promised guidance for complying with the Federal court order that ensures our military and overseas voters are able to receive, mark and return their ballots for the November 2 General Election in enough time to have them counted. For additional background regarding the MOVE Act and its impact on Wisconsin, you may refer to our previous communication at this link.

Step-by-step checklists and guides are attached that provide a more concise itemization with additional details to help municipal and county election officials accomplish the required steps. We appreciate that these changes required by the Federal lawsuit are coming late in the process, and thank you for your patience and assistance. The main changes from current procedures and statutes contained in both the Federal court order and the Board’s order require accelerating the completion of the canvass for the Partisan Primary by:

Ensuring that absentee ballots are transmitted to military and overseas voters with a request on file no later than October 1, 2010, and enclosing a special notice provided by the Board;
Promptly reporting the transmission of such ballots in SVRS through October 4, 2010; and
Extending the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots from military and overseas voters until November 19, 2010, provided that the ballot is postmarked by Election Day, November 2, 2010.

We appreciate your assistance with this special emphasis on processing the absentee ballots of military and overseas voters. Please feel free to contact Kathryn Mueller with questions at (608) 267-7890, or Kathryn.Mueller@wi.gov. Thank you!

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Wisconsin County Clerks
Milwaukee County Election Commission

Guidance to County Clerks for MOVE Act Compliance for the 2010 November 2, 2010 General Election

Wednesday, the Federal court for the Western District of Wisconsin entered an order to resolve the lawsuit based upon a MOVE Act consent decree reached by U.S. DOJ and the Board, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. We sent a copy of the signed order to you Wednesday evening.

Ensuring that absentee ballots are transmitted to military and overseas voters with a request on file no later than October 1, 2010, and enclosing a special notice provided by the Board;
Promptly reporting the transmission of such ballots in SVRS through October 4, 2010; and
Extending the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots from military and overseas voters until November 19, 2010, provided that the ballot is postmarked by Election Day, November 2, 2010.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Wisconsin County Clerks
Milwaukee County Election Commission

Training classes available in Madison if needed before the November election (certain classes cancelled)

Board staff recently completed a multi-week training series for Baseline Chief Inspector training, Municipal Clerk Core training and SVRS Beginning and Advanced training classes. If you need this type of training prior to the November election, we have scheduled the following classes in the Government Accountability Board office in Madison during October:

SVRS Application, Election Management, HAVA Interfaces, Absentee and Reports Training, October 5 - 7, 2010 from 8 am – 5 pm (class time varies):
http://elections.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=3036&linkid=1504&locid=47

SVRS Absentee Training: October 12, 2010 (morning cancelled) and ~~October 14, 2010~~ (morning and afternoon cancelled), (Important - absentee training will be available in a wide variety of locations next year in preparation for the November 2011 deadline for the use of full absentee by all self-providers):
http://elections.state.wi.us/training/courselist.asp?famid=48&locid=47

Baseline Chief Inspector Training, October 19, 2010, 9 am – 12 pm (check back for possible training offered by state-certified clerk-trainers):
http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/education-training/baseline

Municipal Clerk Core Training, October 19, 2010, 1 pm – 4 pm:
http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/education-training/municipal-clerk-core

Please contact me if you have any questions: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033.

Military Amendment to County Canvass ACTION REQUESTED

As you are now aware, due to the federal MOVE Act consent decree, official ballots must be distributed to military and overseas electors by October 1, 2010. As such, canvass procedures for the September 2010 Partisan Primary are being accelerated. This means that the Military Amendment procedures must be completed by close of business on Wednesday, September 22nd.

Military absentee ballots must be accepted until close of business, September 21, 2010, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The GAB Canvass Reporting System must be updated with a Military Amendment from each county clerk. Each county must complete a Military Amendment even if there are no late Military Ballots to be counted, or they have already been included in the original canvass results.

The Government Accountability Board may have certified your original results in the Canvass System in order to allow the Military Amendment process to begin. Some counties may still need to make corrections or add data. Any necessary changes can be done from the Military Amendment results. The canvass must be re-printed, AFTER your last update time and signed by your Board of Canvassers.

To make the military amendment:

1. Sign into the Government Accountability Board Canvass Reporting System.

2. Under the 2010 Partisan Primary, click on your county and make any changes or additions. This would include all ballots that are received. If there are no changes or additions, please move on to step 3.

3. Go back to the 2010 Partisan Primary and click on the verify button.

4. Enter a comment in the comment section to indicate whether you made changes or not.

a. For those that have entered changes in the data:

i. “I have made changes to the data that was previously entered in the canvass reporting system. These changes reflect those ballots that have been received by military voters within the statutory deadline.”

ii. Optional addition, if applicable: “Some changes have been made to the results. This is an update to the original canvass that was previously submitted.”

b. For those that did not have any changes in the data:

i. “There are no additional votes that need to be added to the canvass that was previously submitted. There were no additional ballots submitted by military voters.”

5. For those that have made any changes, please print the Canvass Certification report (in it’s entirety), have it signed by your three member board of canvass, and send it to the GAB by UPS. You may use the G.A.B. UPS account, numbered 7AY104.

NOTE: The hard copy time stamp must be after your latest update time. If you record another update time after you have printed, you will have to print the report again.

6. For those that have not made any changes, you do not need to mail the report to us, but you may print it for your records.

G.A.B. staff will be contacting you on Wednesday morning to assist you in taking this next step. For counties that do not have a recount, this will be your final step in the Canvass Reporting System. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact our Help Desk at 608-261-2028.

We appreciate your patience and your continuing cooperation as, together, we make our best collective effort to meet the tight deadlines imposed by the federal consent decree.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

GAB-190 Supplemental Form now available on G.A.B. Website / Required for 2010 November General Election

The MOVE Act consent decree requires the Government Accountability Board to report a series of statistics regarding military and overseas electors following the 2010 November General Election. Several of these statistics will be tracked in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) and on the GAB-190; however there are several statistics that are not captured with current G.A.B. reporting.

The G.A.B. has created a GAB-190 MOVE Supplemental Form (GAB-190S) to capture this required data. All municipal clerks are required to fill out the GAB-190 and GAB-190S for the 2010 November General Election. Both the GAB-190 and GAB-190S need to be entered into the GAB-190 Online Application, the Wisconsin Election Data Collection System (WEDCS). The new GAB-190S is now available at the G.A.B.’s website:

GAB-190S Non Fillable: http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-nov2010-nonfillable

GAB-190S Fillable: http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-nov2010-fillable

GAB-190S Help Guide: http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-guide

It is the municipal clerk’s responsibility to ensure that their GAB-190 and GAB-190S are both entered into the WEDCS by the municipal clerk or staff or by a Provider. Municipal clerks must also continue to update the WEDCS as absentee ballots are returned after Election Day. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring the State of Wisconsin complies with the requirements of the consent decree.

Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov or Katie Mueller at (608) 267-7890 or kathryn.mueller@wi.gov if you have questions. Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Voter Status Updated in SVRS for Undeliverable DMV Ping Letters - Retroactive HAVA Check Project

Approximately 16,000 voter records in SVRS were updated this weekend to reflect a Status Reason of Active – Suspended (30 Day Notice). This update was made in preparation for Government Accountability Board staff to send 30 Day Notice letters to voters who were mailed a DMV Ping Letter as part of the Retroactive HAVA Check project, but the letters were returned as undeliverable. The letters are being generated in accordance with statutory standards delineated in §6.50(3) Wis. Stats.

This work is being performed by G.A.B. staff.
Clerks are not required to take any action at this time.

G.A.B. staff will mail 30 Day Notice letters to these voters in approximately 2 weeks. The letters inform the voter that our office has reliable information that they no longer reside at the address at which they are currently registered, because a mailing was returned as undeliverable. These voters will be given 30 days to request continuation of their registration at that address. Requests for continuation of registration will be returned to G.A.B. If they do not respond within 30 days, they will be marked Inactive in SVRS. Voters are considered to be active registered voters throughout this process, until they are marked as Inactive in SVRS.

Voters were only updated in SVRS if they met the following criteria:

The voter was sent a DMV Ping Letter as part of the Retroactive HAVA Check and the letter was returned to G.A.B. offices as undeliverable.
The voter is still active and registered at the same address the letter was mailed to.
The voter is not a Military or Overseas elector.
The voter did not return an absentee ballot for the September 14 Partisan Primary.

G.A.B. staff will update clerks when the 30 Day Notice letters are mailed.
Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov if you have any questions regarding this process.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
        Government Accountability Board

        Barbara A. Hansen
        SVRS Director
        Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

G.A.B. Staff has checked Milestone #3 - New Checklist II for the November General Election now Available

The New Checklist II for the November General Election is now available on the G.A.B. website, and is attached below. This Checklist covers activities from the checking of Milestone 3 through the close of registration.

The State has checked Milestone #3 for the November General Election.
Counties and municipalities must enter contests and candidates and then can check Milestone #3 for the November General Election, no later than September 29, 2010. Please immediately notify Self-Providers that Milestone #3 has been completed at the county level.
Friendly Reminder: All military and overseas electors need to have their absentee ballots sent out no later than Friday, October 1, 2010.
New Checklist II also includes all Close of Registration and Poll Book printing information.
The next checklist will be provided after the November 2 General Election.

Special Note: New Checklist II combines previous Checklists I and II and includes Close of Registration information along with poll book printing information. Clerks will not be receiving a Checklist at the close of registration, October 13, 2010.

Thank you for you usual cooperation. We look forward to an exciting and successful November General Election.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

    Barbara A. Hansen
    SVRS Director
    Government Accountability Board

    Katie Mueller
    MOVE Act Elections Specialist
    Government Accountability Board

Ineligible Voter Lists for the November 2010 General Election

By October 1, 2010 you should receive copies of the Ineligible Voter Lists for you to distribute to the municipal clerks in your county. The Cities of Madison and Milwaukee will receive their lists directly.

Please be on the lookout for these lists. The delivery would have been made by UPS. (Dane County and City of Madison and Milwaukee County and City of Milwaukee received their lists via the State mail service.)
If you did not receive your shipment, or if there is a problem with your shipment, please respond by email immediately, no later then noon Monday, October 4, 2010, so that we may address the issue with high priority. Please send your response to our Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.
If you have questions about the use of these lists, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

Thank you.

Friendly Reminder: All Military and Overseas Electors must be sent an Official Ballot no later than Friday, October 1, 2010

Counties must deliver Official Ballots to Municipal Clerks no later than 12:00 pm on Friday, October 1, 2010 for military and overseas absentee electors
- Counties may use PDF or Proof of Official Ballot if Ballots are not back from the printer
Municipalities must send all current military (stationed in the U.S. and abroad) and overseas absentee electors an Official Ballot no later than October 1, 2010
- All military and overseas absentee ballots must include the Special Instructions for Military & Overseas Absentee Voters: Click Here for Instructions.
All military and overseas absentee ballots must be tracked in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS)
- Reliers must send Providers all military and overseas absentee ballot information immediately upon sending the absentee ballots
- Providers must have all Relier military and overseas absentee ballot information entered into SVRS no later than Monday, October 4, 2010
- Self Providers must track all military and overseas absentee ballot information in SVRS on the day of sending the absentee ballot

Previous Communications on the MOVE Act:

Municipal Clerk MOVE Checklist and Guide

County Clerk MOVE Checklist and Guide

November 2010 Pronunciation Guide is Available

• The pronunciation guide for the 11/2/10 Election is available, and attached below.

• The guide has also been sent to Dominion, ES&S, and Command Central

• If you have questions, please contact Diane Lowe at 608-266-3276 or diane.lowe@wi.gov

Thank you.

30 Day Notice Letters Mailed Today - Retroactive HAVA Check Project

I am writing to give you an update on the voters who were sent a DMV Ping Letter, and whose letter was returned as undeliverable.

30 Day Notice letters were mailed October 7, 2010 to 12,780 voters from the Retroactive HAVA Check project.. These voters were mailed a DMV Ping Letter but it was returned as undeliverable. The letter asks the voter to respond within 30 days if they would like to remain registered at their current address.

If they have moved or changed their name, they are asked to re-register with their local municipal clerk. This is why we want to give you a heads-up so you and your staff will not be caught off guard if you see an increase in voters contacting your office for re-registration.

Voters whose 30 Day Notice letter is returned as undeliverable, or who do not respond to the letter, will be marked inactive in SVRS by Board staff. Undeliverables will be marked inactive immediately and should not appear on poll lists for the November General Election, while non-responders will be marked inactive after November 7, 2010. Voters who request continuation or registration at their current address, or who reregister, will remain active.

A Frequently Asked Questions document has been posted to the G.A.B. website, attached below. Clerks are encouraged to review the document for further information on the letters, and to assist in responding if they are contacted by a voter who receives one of these letters.

Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov if you have any questions regarding this process. As usual, thank you in advance for your cooperation.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
        Government Accountability Board

        Barbara A. Hansen
        SVRS Director
        Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

Oct. 12 and 14 SVRS Absentee Process training classes cancelled

The following SVRS Absentee Process training classes in Madison have been cancelled due to low enrollment:

October 12, 8 am – noon.
October 14, 8 am – noon and 1 pm – 5 pm.

The class scheduled for Oct. 12 from 1 pm – 5 pm. is still on.

Registered Write-in Candidates for November 2, 2010 Election

The following candidates have registered as write-in candidates for the November 2, 2010 Election. The Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) will continue to monitor and track registration of write-in candidates. An updated list will be forwarded on October 29th and, if necessary, again on November 1st. G.A.B. staff will enter names of state and federal write-in candidates in the Canvass Reporting System.

County Clerks:

Please provide this memo and the list of registered write-in candidates to your municipal clerks who do not have internet access
County Clerks will enter votes cast for registered federal and state write-in candidates into the Canvass Reporting System.

Municipal Clerks:

Please instruct your inspectors to tally all names written in, but be especially alert for names of registered write in candidates.
Provide your inspectors with the names of registered write-in candidates and their respective offices.
Instruct your inspectors to keep the list covered. It is not for public display. Inspectors may answer questions regarding write-in candidates if directly asked. Inspectors may not volunteer write in candidate information.

If you have questions, please contact me.

REGISTERED WRITE-IN CANDIDATES FOR NOVEMBER 2, 2010

Ernest J. Pagels, Jr.
(Notice of intent received 9/13/10)
Republican
U.S. Senator

Michael D. LaForest
(Notice of intent received 9/13/10)
Independent
U.S. Senator

David Myron Smetak
(Notice of intent received 9/23/10)
Independent
Lt. Governor

Leslie Ervin Smetak
(Notice of intent received 9/23/10)
Independent
Governor

John Schiess
(Notice of intent received 9/24/10)
Republican
Assembly 75

Patricia Messicci
(Notice of intent received 9/23/10)
Independent
Governor

Joseph W. Geritol Mueller
(Notice of intent received 9/28/10)
Democratic
Assembly 3

Please Wait to Print Poll Books

The open registration postmark deadline for the November 2 General Election was October 13.

The GAB has today finished sending all applications timely received in our office as of October 15. Some validly postmarked applications may continue to trickle in this week. We will send you all applications we receive as quickly as possible.

If possible, please hold off on printing your poll books so as to include this last batch of valid by-mail registrations.

Sample write-in absentee ballots available

Sample write-in absentee ballots for the 2011 Spring Primary and Spring Election (GAB-232 – GAB-240) are available.

Find them here: http://gab.wi.gov/forms/ballots

G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System Protocol for the November 2, 2010 General Election

For reporting election results for the September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary canvass, county clerks used the new electronic G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System. On October 11, 2010, the Board voted unanimously to adopt this system for the submission of the November 2, 2010 General Election canvass results and for reporting subsequent canvass results.

What is the electronic G.A.B. Online Canvass Reporting System and how does it work? This system is an on-line application by which the county clerks provide election results electronically. County clerks may enter data into the Canvass Reporting System either by manual entry or upload from another data source such as an Excel spreadsheet or voting equipment cumulating software.

When data entry is completed, a date and time-stamped Certification Report is printed directly from the Canvass Reporting System. The Certification Report consists of a tabular statement of results by reporting unit, a summary statement which contains the total votes cast for the office and the number of total votes cast for each candidate and “scattering,” and the certification of the county board of canvassers. The county board of canvassers signs the certification, and the hard-copy Certification Report is sent to the G.A.B. by overnight delivery. G.A.B. staff compares the date and time on the hard-copy report with the last update made by the county clerk in the Canvass Reporting System. The hard-copy report must reflect a date/time stamp that is later than the last update in the Canvass Reporting System.

For the September 14, 2010 Partisan Primary canvass, Board staff provided guidance for consistency and requested county clerks to submit canvass results in the recommended format. We are pleased to report that all 72 counties entered primary election results into the new system. However, several county clerks sent paper-copy reports in the format previously used by the county, rather than the Certification Report printed from the Canvass Reporting System. Upon notification, most county clerks printed the Certification Report, called in their board of canvassers to sign the report and sent the report to the G.A.B. in a timely fashion. Even after repeated requests, one county clerk refused to use the “Certification Report.”

Action the Government Accountability Board took: Wis. Stats § 7.60, “County canvass,” gives the Board authority to prescribe the format in which county canvass results are to be submitted to Board staff. For the November 2, 2010 General Election and for going forward, the Board has adopted the following protocol that will govern the submission of canvass results.

1. Format of Canvass Reports

It is the Board’s policy that beginning with the November 2, 2010, General Election, all county clerks must continue to input election results into the Canvass Reporting System and use the “Certification Report” from the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System for the official canvass report. The official canvass report contains the following:

A. Certification of the Board of Canvassers: The certification is signed by the three members of the county board of canvassers. If corrections must be made to the tabular statement, canvassers should not sign the certificate until the corrections are made in the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System, the report rerun and corrections verified by the members of the board of canvassers. The board of canvassers certifies that the results contained in the canvass report are true and accurate, and the certificate includes any corrections made to the report during the canvass meeting.

B. Tabular Statement of Votes Cast: The Tabular Statement of Votes Cast is a detail of the number of votes cast for each candidate in each ward or combination of wards for each office or referendum. Write-in votes should be summed together in one scattering column for each office by the county clerk when reporting federal and state office results. Write-in votes for registered write-in candidates shall be listed separately in the canvass reporting system. If any votes are rejected, the board of canvassers shall specify the reasons in the minutes of the board of canvassers meeting. Referenda questions results are reported by “Yes” votes and “No” votes. There is no scattering column for a referendum question.

C. Summary Statement: The summary statement is a tally of the Tabular Statement of Votes Cast. Each statement shall include the total number of votes cast in the county for each office; the names of all ballot candidates for each office, the number of votes cast for each candidate in each office, the number of scattering votes cast in each office, and the number of votes cast for and against any question submitted at a referendum.

2. Reporting Units

The G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System provides tools for county clerks to use to verify that all wards in the county are entered correctly in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) in a consistent and uniform manner in accordance with the standards listed below.

C. If a municipality is not split by wards, one reporting unit is created in SVRS with the label “Ward 1.”

D. If a municipality has more than one ward but will report results in a single reporting unit, the reporting unit in SVRS is created with a label such as
“Wards 1-7.”

E. Ward combinations must be reported sequentially by leading number in the reporting unit name. For example: Wards 1 & 2, 5 – 8, 10; followed by Wards 3 & 4, and then, Ward 9.

G. In partisan primaries or elections, reporting units cannot include wards that are in different assembly, state senate or congressional districts.

Questions about how to use the G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System, and requests for assistance should be directed to the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

Extended Hours of Operations for the November 2, 2010 General Election

Starting Monday, October 25, 2010, in addition to our regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), the G.A.B. is offering extended hours before, during and after the November 2, 2010 General Election so that your questions get answered and your needs get met.

Our extended hours, including our regular hour are:

Monday, October 25, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 28, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday, October 29, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 30, 2010 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon

No Extended Hours of Operation on Sunday, October 31, 2010

Monday, November 1, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

You may call our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or email theHelp Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov for assistance. Thank you!

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Guidance to Municipal Clerks on Processing and Counting Military and Overseas Absentee Ballots for the 2010 General Election

Count what you have on Election Day

With so many types of ballots available to military and overseas electors, the State Write-In Absentee Ballot (SWAB), the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB), and the Official Absentee Ballot, the military or overseas elector could have returned one type of absentee ballot but not another by Election Day. On Election Day, the ballot you have received from the elector should be counted, if it meets all other absentee ballot requirements. In this document, an absentee ballot that is processed and for which a voter number is assigned is termed “accepted.”

If an Official Ballot is received by Election Day, and is not rejected by the inspectors, the Official Ballot is counted.
If an Official Ballot is not received and counted on Election Day, count the SWAB or FWAB, in that order.
In any case, if a ballot is rejected by the inspectors, another ballot submitted by or after Election Day shall be counted if it meets all other absentee ballot requirements.
If a ballot is not rejected and is, therefore, counted, that elector has exhausted the opportunity to vote, and all other ballots from that elector shall be rejected.

All voted absentee ballots go to the polling place, even if you get more than one.

An elector may have returned the SWAB, the FWAB and the Official Absentee Ballot by Election Day. All of these ballots must be sent to the polling place.

Bundle all the ballots from one elector together and instruct poll workers to first assess the Official Absentee Ballot.
If the Official Ballot is deemed sufficient, it is counted and all other absentee ballots from the elector are rejected.
Inspectors note the rejection on the absentee certification envelope, the Inspectors’ Statement (GAB-104), and the absentee ballot log.
If the Official Ballot is not sufficient and is rejected, the Election Inspectors assess and process the SWAB in the same manner. If the SWAB is rejected, the inspectors assess and process the FWAB.

Record and report the number of outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots in your municipality.

Military and Overseas electors have until November 19, 2010 to return their absentee ballot to their clerk. The ballot must be postmarked no later than November 2, 2010 (Election Day)

If no other ballot received from the elector was processed and counted on Election Day, and the late-arriving ballot is sufficient for processing, it must be counted.
On Election Day, municipal clerks must post the number of outstanding military and overseas ballots in their office and on their website, if applicable. (It is not necessary to post the number if there are zero outstanding military and overseas ballots that have not been returned.)
Municipal clerks must inform their County Clerk of the number of outstanding ballots, and email or call the G.A.B. Help Desk (GABHelpDesk@wi.gov or 608-261-2028) with this number, even if it is zero.

Absentee Ballots from Military and Overseas Electors Received after Election Day:

If a SWAB, FWAB or Official Ballot from the elector was accepted on Election Day:

The municipal clerk will indicate on the Absentee Ballot Log the date the ballot was received after Election Day, and that it was not counted. The ballot is stored and secured with the other municipal election materials.
If there is a recount, that absentee ballot should be delivered to the County.

If a SWAB, FWAB, or Official Ballot from the elector was not accepted on Election Day:

Contact your County Clerk immediately upon receipt of a late-arriving ballot. Your County Clerk may be able to include that absentee ballot in the original canvass and may request that you deliver the ballot to the county immediately.
If the original canvass has been certified, the County Clerk may ask you to hold onto the absentee ballot until a specific date.
Mark the Absentee Ballot Log and update SVRS.

Fill out the GAB-190 and GAB-190S and keep updating this information

The U.S. Department of Justice is requiring a number of statistics regarding military and overseas electors. Some of the focus is on the number of absentee ballots that are received after Election Day and after the November 19, 2010 cutoff. Not all statistics required by the federal government are collected on the GAB-190 so a supplemental form was created, the GAB-190S.

You must update your GAB-190 and GAB-190S forms whenever you receive late-arriving absentee ballots until January 1, 2011.

Document, Document, Document

It is important for your poll workers to document rejected and counted absentee ballots, on the Absentee Ballot Log, the Poll Book, and the Inspector’s Statement. Below are links to some templates that other clerks are using to help poll workers correctly document rejected ballots. Some clerks print these templates on stickers for poll workers to attach on the rejected absentee certification envelope.

Uses of Combination Absentee Ballot Application/Certification Envelope

USES OF COMBINATION ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION/CERTIFICATION ENVELOPE
and
HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR CONDUCTING ABSENTEE VOTING BY SPECIAL VOTING DEPUTIES

I. In-person Absentee Voting in Clerk’s Office

A. Combination Absentee Ballot Application/Certification Envelope (combination envelope) serves as an application as well as certificate envelope. Elector is not required to complete a separate application.
B. Note on absentee log that elector voted in person using the combination envelope.
C. It is not necessary to photocopy combination envelopes used as absentee ballot
applications for in-person voters in order to retain a hard copy application in the
municipal clerk’s office.

II. Requesting an Absentee Ballot via Fax or Email

A. Clerk must receive written application (FPCA, GAB-121, or letter) via fax or email
1. Faxed request must contain facsimile signature of elector.
2. Emailed request must contain name of elector, either typed or digital.
B. Clerk sends ballot upon receipt of properly completed faxed or emailed request.
C. Original application with “wet” signature must be received by the clerk no later than the deadline to receive voted ballots from the elector.
1. If no original application is received by Election Day, the ballot is rejected.
2. If ballot is returned in a combination envelope, properly signed by elector and witnessed, the envelope suffices as the original application with wet signature.
a. Indicate on absentee log if combination envelope is considered the original
application.

III. Requesting an Absentee Ballot via Mail

A. Clerk must receive written application (FPCA, GAB-121, or letter) by mail.
B. Mailed request must have a “wet” (original) signature (if not, see section II. C. above).
C. Ballot is mailed to elector upon receipt of application.

IV. Absentee Voting in Nursing Homes, CBRFs and Qualified Retirement Facilities

A. COMBINATION ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION/CERTIFICATION ENVELOPE serves as an application as well as a certificate envelope. A resident
wishing to apply for an absentee ballot with the SVDs may use the combination envelope as an application. NOTE: When the combination envelope is used as an application, it is an application for that election only. A resident wishing to receive absentee ballots automatically must make a request specifically indicating they are indefinitely-confined.
B. It is not necessary to photocopy combination envelopes used as absentee ballot
applications for person voting by SVD in order to retain a hard copy application
in the municipal clerk’s office.
C. SVDs find that a voter who has requested to vote is unavailable (sick, out, etc.)
1. SVDs note that no contact was made with the voter. Municipal clerk notes this on the absentee ballot log. Municipal clerk schedules 2nd visit to the facility. If voter
is not available at 2nd visit, clerk mails the ballot to the elector at the facility.
D. SVDs connect with voter. However, voter states that he or she does not wish to
vote. In order to retain the voter on the indefinitely-confined list, the SVD may either:
1. Encourage voter to return a blank ballot (blank ballot is sealed in certificate
envelope and signed by elector and SVDs,
2. Have the voter sign a “30-day notice” indicating a desire to stay on the list, but
not vote for the election at hand.

V. Record Keeping

A. Applications for absentee ballots must be kept for 90 days (22 months if federal election)
B. Certificate envelopes must be kept for 30 days (22 months if federal election)
C. When the combination envelope serves as an application, it must be retained
for 90 days (22 months if federal election). See Section V. D.
1. Separate envelopes that serve as applications into two stacks:
a. In-person voting (in-person in clerk’s office or at nursing home, CBRF or
retirement facility).
b. Envelopes serving as original applications following a faxed or
emailed request.
D. Envelopes are delivered to the county clerk as always.
1. Combination envelopes used as applications must be retained by the County Clerk for 90 days (22 months if federal election).

Important Reminders for a Successful 2010 General Election

Before Election Day

1. Please plan your office schedule in accordance with State law:

The deadline for electors to request to receive an absentee ballot by mail, email or fax is 5:00pm on Thursday before the election for most electors and 5:00 pm on Friday for indefinitely confined electors. The municipal clerk (or deputy) must be available to accommodate these deadlines.
Voters must be able to vote absentee in the clerk’s office up until 5:00 pm on Monday, November 1, 2010.
Military and overseas can request to receive an absentee ballot by mail, email or fax as late as Election Day.

2. Make sure all of your voting machines, including the accessible voting machines, are programmed, tested and in working order before Election Day, allowing enough time for any needed repairs. You must turn-on your accessible equipment on Election Day and have it ready for use.

Election Day

3. A copy of the Election Day Manual should be in every polling place.

4. Ensure that each polling place does not run out of ballots.

Chief Election Inspectors need to monitor the number of ballots at the polling place and regularly communicate that number to the municipal clerk.
The Chief Election Inspector must keep at least one unvoted ballot in case the ballots need to be photocopied.
Municipal clerks must ensure the Chief Election Inspector knows how and where to reach you on Election Day.
Municipal clerks must check in with the Chief Election Inspector throughout the day to ensure effective communication.

5. Remind Chief Inspectors that reasons such as property foreclosures, outstanding traffic tickets, HAVA non-matches and the like are not legally sufficient for a legitimate challenge.

6. Voters appearing on the poll list should not be asked to provide proof of residence.

EXCEPTION: The notation “ID Required” appears next to the voter’s name, indicating a first-time WI voter who registered by mail and hasn’t yet provided proof of residence.

A voter may not request that the notation “ID required” be placed by their name because they wish to voluntarily be required to produce photo identification in order to receive a ballot.

7. All absentee electors and all electors who register during late registration and on Election Day must have their information compared to the “Ineligible Voter List” to determine if the person is not currently under supervision of the Department of Corrections. Instructions are included with the Ineligible Voter Lists.

8. Electors may vote for candidates in more than one party. An elector may select to vote straight party then select a candidate of a different party in one or more contests. The straight party vote counts in all contests except for those contests in which the elector selected the candidate(s) of a different party. In those contests, the vote for the selected candidate is counted. See the Counting Votes Manual page 3; http://gab.wi.gov/manuals/counting-votes.

9. Candidates for the offices of Governor/Lt. Governor run as a team and are considered as one candidate. A candidate with no running mate is also considered as one candidate (No Candidate/Smith or Smith/No Candidate). Therefore, various combinations of write-in votes for Governor/Lt. Governor, or for only Governor or only Lt. Governor are listed separately on the tally sheet for each combination of candidates. See page 4 of the Counting Votes Manual for specific examples. http://gab.wi.gov/manuals/counting-votes

10. Municipal clerks must determine the number of outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots (the military and overseas electors absentee ballots that have not been returned to the municipal clerk’s office) and by 8:00 pm on Election Day:

Post the number in the clerk’s office
Post the number on the municipal website (if applicable)
Notify the appropriate County Clerk of the number (even if you have none)
Email the Government Accountability Board (GABHelpDesk@wi.gov) the number (even if you have none)

After Election Day

11. Military and overseas electors have until November 19, 2010 to return absentee ballots to be counted. The ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and meet all other absentee ballot requirements.

Improvements to Canvass Reporting System and Certification Instructions

Background

On Monday, October 11, 2010, the Government Accountability Board approved the Canvass Reporting System Protocol effective with the November 2, 2010 Election. The approved protocol was emailed to you on October 20, 2010, and is also posted on the Recent Clerk Communications page of the G.A.B. website. The unanimous adoption of this protocol requires county clerks to report state and federal election results via the Canvass Reporting System and to certify results to the G.A.B. using the specific certification report as directed in this memo.

In late September, staff met with county clerks at the WCCA Fall Conference in Milwaukee and received valuable feedback with respect to the usability of the Canvass Reporting System and excellent suggestions to improve its functionality. Staff has incorporated the technical suggestions that improve movement through the system and make it easier to use. A list of system enhancements appears at the end of this memorandum.

The process for canvass entry (whether by hand entry or upload) into the system has not changed since the September Primary. However, the procedure for certification to the G.A.B. has been modified. In order to address the objection that the printed reports require too much paper, and to effect faster certification transmission, the requirement to print and submit the voluminous tabular statement has been eliminated.

The “Reports” Screen Has a New Look

The “Reports” screen of the Canvass Reporting System has been reorganized. All of the reports are still there, but they have been rearranged into two columns: “For Use by Clerks” and “For Use by G.A.B.” Within the “For Use by Clerks” column are the subheadings Pre-Election Reports and Post Election Reports.

At the very top of the “For Use by Clerks Column,” is a new report called Federal/State Office Certification Report for G.A.B. This is the certification report you will generate for submission to G.A.B. The report consists of only the Summary Statement and the Certification of the Board of Canvassers.

Certification Instructions

1) When you have completed the entry of election results, and all necessary amendments have been made, print the Federal/State Office Certification Report for G.A.B. for your Board of Canvassers to sign.

2) Once it is signed, scan the entire document (summary statement and certification) and email it to the G.A.B. at wired@seb.state.wi.us.

3) Immediately mail the original signed document (summary statement and signed certification) to the G.A.B. at P.O. Box 7984, Madison, WI 53707-7984.

4) Print the Tabular Statement and retain with your copy of the Summary Statement and Certification.

We hope this certification procedure will improve your canvass reporting experience as well as expedite G.A.B. staff’s ability to certify quickly.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. If you have questions, please contact me.

Cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
         Director and General Counsel
   Government Accountability Board

   Nathaniel E. Robinson
         Elections Division Administrator
         Government Accountability Board

System Enhancements since September 2010

1)    County file upload changes:
        a)    Fix county XPS upload issue.
        b)    LST upload corrected when additional spaces are present in the file.
2)    Exception reports now filter by county

3) Diary comments scrolling issue repaired

4) Created new report from certification summary without details.

5) Condense page breaks to lessen size of reports.

6) Add button to make all blanks into zeros on tabular statement

7) Add “per-office” totals to ward by ward reports

8) Repeat office title/candidates names header row at beginning of each page

9) Change order of reports

10) Enable down/up arrows on entry screen

11) List fields missing, default to zero

12) The Canvass system “next” feature will save changes as well

13) Provide Canvass support on and after the November Election

Information for Clerks re: Public Records Request from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

Late in the day on October 29, 2010 the Democratic Party of Wisconsin e-mailed a public records request to Wisconsin county and municipal clerks for information about the November 2, 2010 General Election.

Many clerks have asked the Government Accountability Board for guidance on how to respond to this request.

G.A.B. staff will review the request, confer with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin as necessary, and communicate with clerks as soon as possible (not before Tuesday’s election).

Clerks need not allow the request to interfere with their election preparations and duties.

Friendly Reminder: Municipal Clerks must report the number of outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots

A friendly reminder that municipal clerks need to determine the number of outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots (the military and overseas electors absentee ballots that have not been returned to the municipal clerk’s office) and:

Post the number in the clerk’s office
Post the number on the municipal website (if applicable)
Notify the appropriate County Clerk of the number (even if you have none)
Email the Government Accountability Board (GABHelpDesk@wi.gov or call 608-261-2028) the number (even if you have none)

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Mueller at Kathryn.Mueller@wi.gov or 608-267-7890.

Random Draw Procedure for Voting System Audit

Random Draw Procedure for Voting System Audit
WI Government Accountability Board (G.A.B)
9:30 am November 3, 2010
212 E. Washington Ave, Third Floor
Madison WI, 53703

There are two separate draws as part of the voting system audit procedure: the selection of reporting units to be audited by local election officials or G.A.B staff and the selection of the election contests to be audited.
The selection of reporting units and offices for audit shall be done publicly in the G.A.B office following the procedures set out below.
Selection of reporting units to be audited by local election officials
The reporting units for the general election provided to the G.A.B by the close of business on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 shall be exported to an Excel spreadsheet from the SVRS canvass reporting system. The staff shall use the random number generator in Excel to select 250 reporting units for audit by local election officials.
After selection, G.A.B staff shall determine if any of the first 50 selected reporting units had no votes cast in the September primary. If so, then additional reporting units from the remaining randomly selected reporting units shall be selected until 50 reporting units with votes cast have been selected.
G.A.B staff shall determine if the selected reporting units include at least 5 reporting units from each type of voting system approved for use in Wisconsin pursuant to § 5.91, Wis.Stats. If not, the additional reporting units from the remaining randomly selected reporting units shall be selected until at least 5 from each type of system approved for use in Wisconsin pursuant to § 5.91, Wis. Stats., have been selected.
Approved Voting Systems (Optical Scan)

Optech Eagle
Sequoia Insight
ES&S M100
ES&S DS200
Premier Accuvote-OS
ES&S 150
ES&S 650 (Not used in any WI municipality)

Approved Voting Systems (DRE/touch screen)

Sequoia Edge
ES&S iVotronic
Premier Accuvote-TSX
Populex 2.3

In the event that it appears a selected reporting unit may be the subject of a recount, the G.A.B staff, at the discretion of the Director and General Counsel, may replace that reporting unit with a different reporting unit from the remaining units determined by the random selection.
Selection of reporting units to be audited by G.A.B staff
If the randomly selected reporting units for audit by the municipal clerk do not include any voting system currently used in less than 5 reporting units, the reporting units shall be included in the 10 reporting units to be audited by G.A.B staff. Populex is the only voting system currently used in less than 5 reporting units.
The remaining reporting units to be audited by G.A.B staff shall be selected in order from the original randomly selected reporting units.
Selection of election contests for audit
The G.A.B staff shall prepare a list of election contests that appear on all ballots throughout the state. The offices shall be separated between federal/state and county offices. A minimum of four offices shall be audited, including the top race on the ballot (gubernatorial). Two federal/state contests and one county contest shall be randomly drawn to determine the election contest to be audited by state and local election officials. The G.A.B staff shall follow the same procedures for drawing and documenting the selection of election contests to be audited as it follows for determining ballot order pursuant to § 5.60 (1)(b), Wis. Stats.

Federal/State Offices on all ballots in WI

Governor & Lieutenant Governor (required to audit)
Attorney General
Secretary of State
State Treasurer
US Senator
Representative in Congress
Representative to the Assembly

County Offices on all ballots is WI

Sheriff
Clerk of Circuit Court

Notification of municipal and county clerks

G.A.B staff shall contact the municipal and county clerks to inform them of the reporting units and election contests subject to audit. Each municipal and county clerk selected shall be contacted by the close of business on Wednesday, November 3, 2010. A list of reporting units with the type of equipment and contact information for the municipal clerk shall be posted on the G.A.B website.

Mailing the Canvass Certification to G.A.B.

I’m getting questions from county clerks with respect to submitting the canvass certification to the G.A.B. Please refer to the following excerpt from the High Priority Email sent October 29, 2010 and posted to the Clerk Communication page. Number 3 asks you to mail the original signed document. Since the volume of paper is greatly reduced, please mail to signed original document and provide first-class postage (you do not have to overnight it if you have scanned an emailed it).

Excerpt from e-mail sent 10/29/10:

“At the very top of the “For Use by Clerks Column,” is a new report called Federal/State Office Certification Report for G.A.B. This is the certification report you will generate for submission to G.A.B. The report consists of only the Summary Statement and the Certification of the Board of Canvassers.

Certification Instructions

2) Once it is signed, scan the entire document (summary statement and certification) and email it to the G.A.B. at wired@seb.state.wi.us.

3) Immediately mail the original signed document (summary statement and signed certification) to the G.A.B. at P.O. Box 7984, Madison, WI 53707-7984.

4) Print the Tabular Statement and retain with your copy of the Summary Statement and Certification.

Thank you.

Checklist III for the November General Election

Checklist III for the 2010 General Election is now available on the G.A.B. website as an attachment to this memo. This checklist covers post-Election Day activities.

Self Providers or Providers for their Relier(s) should record voter participation and process Election Day registrations in SVRS.

Municipal Clerks should complete the GAB-190 through the WEDCS system within 30 days following the election.

Clerks should compare the response on question 2 of the GAB-190 to the total votes in SVRS. Remember that for the November 2010 election only, there are additional questions for military and overseas voters.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. We look forward to a successful wrap-up of the November General Election! Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov if you have any questions.

    cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
            Director and General Counsel
            Government Accountability Board

            Barbara A. Hansen
            SVRS Director
            Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

Thank you, clerks, for a job well done!

On behalf of the members of the Government Accountability Board and our staff, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to you, our valued Municipal and County Clerks, for being a critical and necessary part of successfully conducting the Fall 2010 General Election. Congratulations on a job exceptionally well done!

We consider it a successful election when most voters have a pleasant experience and remember its outcome rather than any issues at the polling place. Based on the feedback we have received and media reports, this was a successful election. We know of no major problems, no major glitches and no major surprises that interfered with, slowed-down, or derailed more than 2.16 million Wisconsin residents exercising their Constitutional right and civic responsibility on Tuesday. Administering successful elections requires dedication and getting things done in a timely manner. Due to your dedication, commitment and hard work, Wisconsin again lived-up to its well-deserved reputation for conducting open, fair, and transparent elections.

As we turn our attention to the post-2010 election cycle and begin to focus on 2011, we want to assure you that we will continue to collaborate closely with you as we review election business processes, practices, and procedures in order to continue to improve elections in Wisconsin, with an eye to making it more efficient for local election officials. We look forward to your robust and dynamic involvement in this process.

cc: Members, Government Accountability Board
Board Staff

November 2, 2010 Canvass Instruction for Certifying Results for State and Federal Offices

County boards of canvassers begin examining returns today. Many clerks have called with questions about printing and mailing the certification to G.A.B. To facilitate the process, step by step instructions for using the G.A.B. Canvass System have been created. Click the link above to view the updated step by step instructions.

Thank you!

Municipal Clerks Need to Report Election Training for Recertification

Municipal clerks are currently in the 2009-2010 term and need to accumulate six hours of election training by December 31, 2010 to recertify for the 2011-2012 term.

If you have not already done so, please fill out and submit this form (click here) to report your election training to the G.A.B. No other documentation is required, but all election training must be reported to us using this form.

A list of municipal clerks and the total number of hours they have reported to us so far this term will be posted within the next several weeks so that you can compare your records with ours. Please contact me if you have any questions: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033.

Type A Notice of 2011 Spring Election

This memo contains information about the Type A Notice of the 2011 Spring Election, the notification of noncandidacy deadline, and write-in absentee ballots for the Spring Election. I have also included a “Reminders for Municipal Clerks” memo that contains valuable planning information for the Spring Election.

G.A.B. Training Surveys

As we prepare for the 2011 election cycle, and in an effort to maximize our resources and better serve our clerk-partners, once again we are surveying county and municipal clerks to determine the needs for Baseline Chief Inspector, Municipal Clerk Core and beginning and advanced SVRS training. If you, your staff or your new chief inspectors need training, please complete and submit the appropriate online survey(s) at the links below by November 19, 2010.

It is vitally important that you respond to this survey if you have training for your Baseline Chief Inspectors, Municipal Clerk Core and beginning and advanced SVRS training, and if you wish for training classroom sessions to be considered for your municipality. Training schedules will be developed based on the results of the surveys. Classes will be held in January through early February.

SVRS users, please note that additional Absentee Process training will be conducted in summer/fall 2011 to prepare self-providers for the November 2011 deadline for using full absentee. A separate training survey will be distributed after the April 2011 election.&

We would appreciate county clerks sharing these surveys with their municipal clerks without email and any reliers who may be planning to become SVRS self-providers by spring elections. Thank you for your continued cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033.

Take the Baseline Chief Inspector/Municipal Clerk Core training survey

Take the SVRS Application training survey

Friendly Reminder regarding G.A.B. Canvass Reporting System and Military Ballots

Thank you for your continuous hard work and attention to detail as we canvass and work towards certifying the Election Results for the 2010 November General Election. Several county clerks are conducting recounts in three legislative districts. The recount results will need to be added into the new Canvass Reporting System. The process for entering recounts results into the Canvass Reporting System requires County Clerks to wait until after the Military Amendment has been completed to input recount results. This places additional importance on entering the Military Amendment and verifying those results by Monday, November 22, 2010.

Military and overseas electors have until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2010 to return an absentee ballot to be counted if postmarked by Election Day, and if no ballot was counted for the military or overseas elector on Election Day. This is a friendly reminder of the timeline for making amendments to your canvass due to late-arriving military or overseas ballots:

• The Canvass Reporting System will be placed in the “Military Amendment” results set as soon as all counties have verified their original canvass. (We are currently waiting for two counties to finish.). Counties will be notified when the Canvass Reporting System has been placed in the Military Amendment results set.

• Counties must wait until after November 19th at 5:00 p.m. but no later than 9:00 a.m. Monday, November 22nd to meet with their County Board of Canvassers to count and/or reject the returned military and overseas absentee ballots, amend the results in the Canvass System, and verify the results.

• Important: If there are no outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots to be counted or rejected, in your county, you must still select “verify” in the Canvass System.

• All counties must have verified their Military Amendment by Monday, November 22, 2010, even if there were no changes made to the Canvass, before the Canvass System can be placed in the “Recount results” so that counties with recounts may enter recount results into the Reporting System.

• Remember to have your Board of Canvassers sign the “Federal/State Office Certification Report for G.A.B.,” scan and email (or fax) the signed report to wired@seb.state.wi.us, and mail the original document to G.A.B.

We know you are working hard with post election activities and just want to remind you to keep November 22, 2010 on you calendar so we can continue to move along in the canvass process. Thank you for your continued cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact an Elections Specialist.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
    Director and General Counsel
    Government Accountability Board

Change in date to send Write-in Absentee Ballots to Military Electors for Spring Primary

In response to inquiries from clerks regarding sending write-in ballots for the 2011 Spring Primary, the Government Accountability Board has determined that municipal clerks should wait to send military write-in ballots until January 5, 2011, when it is known which offices are up for election in the Spring Primary. Please refer to §7.15(1)(cs) Wis Stats.

The filing deadline for candidates who wish to appear on the Spring General Election Ballot is January 4, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. After this deadline passes, we will know how many candidates will appear on the Spring General Election Ballot and will be able to determine if a Spring Primary will be necessary on February 15, 2011. A statewide primary is likely, however this cannot be determined until after the filing deadline. If a statewide primary is not necessary municipal and county clerks must inform the G.A.B. if they are having a primary for county, municipal or school district offices.

If a Spring Primary is necessary, then, on January 5, 2011, all municipal clerks who will have a Spring Primary must prepare a write-in ballot with the contests up for election at the Spring Primary, and send it to all military electors. We recognize this is a change from past practice, in which municipal clerks sent write-in ballots to all military electors 90 days ahead of the Primary, before it was known if a primary would occur.

Reliers who have a Spring Primary must provide information to their providers regarding the military electors who were sent a ballot, the date the ballot was sent, and the date the ballot was returned so these ballots can be tracked in SVRS.

Providers whose reliers have a Spring Primary must inherit the election in SVRS on behalf of their reliers and track the military ballots using Absentee Lite. Checklist I will be sent out for the Spring Primary near the filing deadline for your reference. The Spring Primary should only be inherited in SVRS for relier municipalities who are having a Spring Primary.

Self Providers who have a Spring Primary must inherit the election in SVRS and track the military ballots that are sent. Checklist I will be sent out for the Spring Primary near the filing deadline for your reference. Only municipalities that are having a Spring Primary should inherit the election in SVRS.

Due to the timing, municipal clerks may be mailing state write-in ballots for the Spring Primary in close proximity to mailing the write-in ballots for the April Spring Election. State write-in ballots for the April Spring Election must be mailed 90 days before the election, by January 5, 2011. Thank you for you continued cooperation. We look forward to a successful 2011 Spring Primary and Election.

Municipal Clerks Training Reports Available

CLICK ATTACHMENT ABOVE (updated as of 4/12/2011)

Requirements:

Municipal Clerks are required by law to accumulate six hours of election training between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 to recertify for the 2011-2012 term. For new municipal clerks or clerks who lost their certification, three of the six hours must be the Municipal Clerk Core Curriculum training (MCT Core) class or the equivalent Clerk Institute training. Election training that counts toward recertification can be found here on our website. Please recall that we extended the deadline for clerks who were short on hours for the 2007-2008 term to February 13, 2009. Those hours may not be counted again as training taken in the current term.

Reporting:

Municipal clerks must report the election training they have received to us for credit. The document attached above lists the clerks who have not reported a minimum of six hours of election training during the 2009-2010 term as of February 21, 2011. If you have hours to report in order to recertify for the current 2011-2012 term, please fill out and submit this form to report your election training to the G.A.B. No other documentation is required, but all election training must be reported to us using this form. This list will be updated each Friday.

Municipal clerks who have not taken and reported six hours of election training during the 2009-2010 term, must retake the 3-hour Municipal Clerk Core training class and three hours of election training - for a total of six hours - by the February 15, 2011 primary to be certified to conduct the election.

Contact:

We would appreciate county clerks sharing this information with their municipal clerks without email. Thank you for your continued cooperation. If you have questions or are not listed, please contact Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033. County clerks, deputy clerks and other office staff are not required to be certified, but if you are working on clerk certification, have taken the MCT Core course and would like to know what we have recorded for you, feel free to contact me.

Checklist I is now available and the 2011 April Spring Election may be Inherited

NEW Checklist I for the 2011 April Spring Election is now available. See attachment above. This checklist covers activities from inheriting the election through entering Contests and Candidates.

2011 April Spring Election is available to inherit in SVRS.

Counties and municipalities can inherit now to track the candidate filing status for county and municipal level offices for the 2011 April Spring Election.

Counties must inherit the 2011 April Spring Election by December 29, 2010.

Municipalities must inherit the 2011 April Spring Election by January 5, 2011.

Counties and municipalities can inherit the 2011 April Spring Election before the 2011 February Primary. The 2011 February Primary should only be inherited if a Primary is necessary. Please see our memo from Friday, November 12, 2010, regarding the Spring Primary and the sending of military electors their ballots in January. This is a change from past practice. Please let us know if you need any assistance. Thank you for you continued cooperation. We look forward to an exciting and successful Spring Election Cycle.

If you questions or require assistance, please contact the GAB Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
        Government Accountability Board

Instructions for County Clerks on Military Amendments

The Military Amendment Results Set has been opened in the Canvass Reporting System (CRS).

If you have military amendments you may enter votes from late-arriving military and/or overseas ballots ONLY.

When finished, “verify,” and make the notation “military amendment.”
Print the Federal/State Office Certification Report for G.A.B. This is the only acceptable report!!!
Have your Board of Canvassers sign the report
Email or fax the report to wired@seb.state.wi.us
Mail the original document

BUFFALO, CLARK, DUNN, EAU CLAIRE, JACKSON, MONROE, PEPIN, PIERCE AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES:

DO NOT ENTER RECOUNT RESULTS until you are notified that the CRS has been set to Recount.

SVRS Director Barbara Hansen Retiring!

Kevin Kennedy and Nat Robinson announce that Barbara Hansen, SVRS Director, is retiring from state service on January 3, 2011.

This is a wonderful opportunity for Barbara to spend more time with her family, but it leaves a significant void in our office as well as the impact her departure will have on the many people she has so diligently supported in local election offices, the Legislature and state government in her 21 years with the State Elections Board and the Government Accountability Board.

Barbara directed the design, implementation and ongoing operations of our Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), but she has served the agency and its customers in many roles before the HAVA requirement for “a single, uniform, official, centralized, interactive computerized statewide voter registration list defined, maintained, and administered at the State level that contains the name and registration information of every legally registered voter in the State and assigns a unique identifier to each legally registered voter in the State.”

Barbara began her career as an elections specialist after serving as a deputy clerk in the Town of Delafield in Waukesha County. When Gail Shea left in 1996 she was promoted to the campaign finance and elections supervisor position.

Barbara has a national certification from the Election Center and Auburn University as a Certified Election and Registration Administrator (CERA) – one of a small group of individuals who have attained that distinction in the country. Barbara also served on the Steering Committee of the Council of Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL). Barbara has been a member of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association since 1986, beginning her long relationship with local election officials.

Her impact on election administration is significant in Wisconsin as well as the national level, but it is in our offices where she has been a trusted colleague with unparalleled knowledge about the agency’s responsibilities as well as a valued friend.

We wish her, John and their son Christopher all the best as we lose daily contact with one of our family.

We are planning a "salute" to Barbara in late January and will share with you the details in a separate communication, for those of you who may want to participate in the festivities.

Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
608-266-8005
kevin.kennedy@wi.gov

Nathaniel E. Robinson
Elections Division Director
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
608-267-0715
nat.robinson@wi.gov

Party Ballot Order for 2011-2012 Elections

Listed below is the ballot order for parties which at this time qualify for a separate ballot for the partisan primary and a separate column for the general election for all 2011 and 2012 partisan offices.

Ballot order is determined by the highest number of votes received by the highest office in the last general election. For 2011 and 2012, every recognized political party listed on the official ballot at the last general election (November 2010) whose candidate for governor received at least one percent of the total votes cast for governor shall have a separate primary ballot.

If a recognized political party did not have a gubernatorial candidate or their gubernatorial candidate did not receive at least one percent of the total votes cast, that party will have a separate ballot if one of their candidates received at least one percent of the total votes cast for a statewide office at the 2010 gubernatorial election.

By June 1, 2012, other political parties may petition for ballot status for the 2012 partisan election. §§.5.62(1)(a), (b), (2), 5.64(1)(b), Wis. Stats.

PARTY BALLOT ORDER FOR 2011-2012 PARTISAN ELECTIONS:

REP - Republican
DEM - Democratic
CON - Constitution
IND - Independent

If you have any questions regarding ballot issues for the 2011 and 2012 partisan primary ballot, please contact me at 608-266-3276 (diane.lowe@wi.gov).

CIT/MCT training schedule

Based on the results of the training survey distributed to all county and municipal clerks in November, the G.A.B. Elections Division has scheduled Baseline Chief Inspector and Municipal Clerk Core training classes in a variety of locations from January to early February 2011 in preparation for the spring 2011 elections.
We would appreciate county clerks informing any municipal clerks who do not have email of training classes in their respective areas.
Please click on the links below to access the training schedules.
Check the G.A.B. website prior to class for closures due to weather or low enrollment.
Friendly reminder: municipal clerks must have accumulated and reported six hours of approved election training by December 31, 2010 to recertify for the 2011-2012 term. A list of reported training hours is available by clicking on the attachment found on our website (click here). Please contact Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033 if you have any questions.

2011 Winter Baseline Chief Inspector Training Schedule

2011 Winter Municipal Clerk Core Training Schedule

Holiday Wishes from the G.A.B.

On behalf of the Board and Staff of the Government Accountability Board, we would like to wish Wisconsin’s clerks -- our local election partners -- a safe Holiday Season, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In this season of gift-giving, we want you to know how much we appreciate the gift of public service that you provide to Wisconsin’s voters throughout the year.

We wish you a safe return from your holiday travels and good health in the New Year.

Statewide Supreme Court Primary Notice / Military Absentee Ballots Must Be Sent

Municipal clerks were advised to wait until January 5, 2011 before sending out state write-in ballots to military electors for the 2011 Spring Primary until the offices on the Primary ballot were known. The filing deadline for nomination papers ended last night, January 4, 2011 at 5:00pm. There is still a possibility of challenges to nomination papers. However, write-in ballots for military electors for the 2011 February Primary must be sent out today.

As of this morning there will be a statewide election for the 2011 February Spring Primary for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court. Additionally, there will be a 2011 February Primary for the office of Circuit Court Judge in the following counties:

Columbia County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Green Lake County Circuit Court Judge
Marathon County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 5
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 18
Polk County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Sheboygan County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 3
Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 6

All military electors must be sent a February Primary state write-in ballot containing only the offices appearing on the February Primary ballot by the end of the day, today, January 5, 2011. This is also the 90 day deadline for sending military electors a state write-in ballot for the 2011 April Spring Election. All military electors must also be sent an April Spring Election state write-in ballot by the end of the day January 5, 2011. Since both ballots are being sent at the same time ballots should be sent in separate envelopes that are clearly marked with the election name and date. (See Guidance on Two Issues Concerning Military Write-In Ballots for additional information)

All military electors’ absentee ballot information must be tracked in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). It is the municipalities’ responsibility to ensure their military absentee ballot information is tracked in SVRS either by that municipality or by a Provider.

Thank you for you continued cooperation. We look forward to an exciting and successful Spring Election cycle.

If you questions or require assistance, please contact the GAB Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov. Thank you.

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board

Primary and Election Certifications

Please read the Certification of Nomination Memo (attached above).

The Spring Primary will be held on February 15, 2011, and the Spring Election will be held on April 5, 2011.

There is a statewide primary for Justice of the Supreme Court.

Several counties will also conduct a primary for the office of Circuit Court Judge.

Included with this communication is the primary certification of candidates for judicial offices in counties where a primary is required (all counties will hold a primary for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court). Also included is the election certification of candidates for judicial offices that do not require a primary.

Spring 2011 Primary Pronunciation Guide is Available

• The pronunciation guide for the 2/15/11 Primary is available, and attached below.

• The guide has also been sent to Dominion, ES&S, and Command Central

• If you have questions, please contact Diane Lowe at 608-266-3276 or diane.lowe@wi.gov

Thank you.

Update on the 2010-2011 Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance

Many of you have inquired about the status of the statutorily required Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance for the 2010 General Election. I am pleased to inform you that G.AB. will once again conduct the 2010 process with some modifications compared to what we did for 2008-2009 Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance.

February 2, 2011 is the statutory deadline to send voters the Notice of Suspension of Registration. As was the case in 2008, many municipalities still have yet to complete entering and/or reconciling voter registration information and voter history in SVRS. As such, we will not begin the 2010 maintenance initiative until the reconciliation for the November 2, 20l0 voter participation data is complete. You will soon be receiving additional information.

Background: Wisconsin Statutes §6.50 (1) and (2) mandate that municipal clerks must periodically conduct a purge of electors who have not voted within the past 4 years.

We recognize that many municipalities relied on the assumption that G.A.B. would perform the Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance for the 2010 General Election following the same protocol used in 2008, and therefore did not budget for printing, mailing and processing the Notices of Suspension of Registration. We will again assume responsibility for conducting the 2010 Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance.

Unlike 2008, the return address on the 2010 mailing will not be the G.A.B. office but instead will be the office of the respective municipal clerk. Municipalities will receive and process the returned Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance mailings and Applications for Continuation of Registration.

Special Note: Please note that the 2010 General Election will be the last election where we will conduct the Four-Year Voter Record Maintenance. For General Elections going forward, we will continue to manage and support clerks in identifying voters who qualify for the four-year voter record maintenance, but clerks will be responsible for sending the Notices of Suspension of Registration and making updates made to voter records in their municipality. We encourage you to plan ahead and plan accordingly.

We wish to thank our SVRS partners for your cooperation in this statewide initiative. Clerks with questions may contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov. Thank you.

cc:     Kevin J. Kennedy
         Director and General Counsel
         Government Accountability Board

Enhanced Clerk Communications Protocol

In October 2009, the Government Accountability Board instituted a Clerk Communications Protocol after consulting with clerks around the state. As a result, we have significantly reduced the number of e-mails and eliminated e-mail file attachments. We apprised you that this was a work in progress, and we promised to re-evaluate with your input.

In the summer of 2010, Board staff surveyed all 1,922 county and municipal clerks regarding satisfaction with the October 2009 Communications Protocol. 810 clerks responded and the overwhelming majority – 86 percent – said they were satisfied, highly satisfied or completely satisfied with the protocol. Clerks however, continue to tell us that we are sending them too many High Priority e-mails.

I can assure you, we are listening. We reviewed the number of High Priority messages and we agree with you. Quite frankly, we sent too many High Priority messages in 2010. As a result of your feedback and our analysis, we have enhanced the Communications Protocol that will result a significantly reduced amount of emails sent to all clerks. G.A.B. Director Kevin Kennedy and I have pledge to drastically reduce the number of mass e-mails to clerks. Instead, we will significantly increase use of the agency website for distribution of information that clerks need to do their election administration job.

We respect you as professionals. As such, we will defer to your responsibility to check the Recent Clerk Communications Page on the G.A.B. website for information about routine clerk tasks. Elections and SVRS specialists will still contact individual clerks about specific issues as needed, and this policy does not affect those contacts.

Effective immediately, you will receive two types of mass e-mails from the Elections Division. We will send High Priority e-mails only when we must notify you of a new, time-sensitive, and critical task that clerks must complete by a specified date. An example is the memorandum giving guidance to clerks on complying with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which was new last fall. In such cases a brief, High Priority e-mail will go out advising clerks to visit the website for detailed instructions.

The second type of e-mail clerks will receive from the Elections Division is a bi-monthly, friendly reminder to check the website. Whenever the situation warrants, these e-mails may briefly summarize recent communications posted to the website, as well as highlight upcoming deadlines and events, such as an SVRS milestone that will be checked in the near future. At other times, they will just be reminders to check the website.

All other Clerk Communications will be posted only to the website. They will no longer be classified as Low or Medium Priority. Instead, they will be classified more descriptively.

In the absence of e-mails reminding you about each and every task, I encourage you to regularly consult and familiarize yourself with the G.A.B.’s Calendar of Election and Campaign Events (http://gab.wi.gov/publications/2010-2011-calendar), which provides a day-by-day guide to the statutorily-required election administration tasks that clerks must complete. We urge you to follow that calendar, and we will let you know when something unforeseen arises.

As always, we welcome any and all feedback as we continue to work on improving our communication, which we recognize is a key link to our committed partnership with valued county and municipal clerks. We appreciate your patience and your usual cooperation. Thank you.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
        Government Accountability Board

G.A.B.’s Extended Hours of Operations for February 15, 2011 Spring Primary

Starting Friday, February 11, 2011, in addition to our regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), the G.A.B. is offering extended hours before, during and after the February 15, 2011 Spring Primary so that your questions get answered and your election-related needs get met. We encourage you not to wait until the day of the Primary to contact us to get your questions answered.

Our extended hours, including our regular hour are:

Friday, February 11, 2011 -- 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday, February 14, 2011 -- 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 -- 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 -- 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Normally, we would close our office on Election Night at 9:00 p.m. Due to the fact than an increasing number of clerks are using the canvass system on Election Night, we are staying open on February 15 until 10:00 p.m. to be of service to you.

You may call our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or email theHelp Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov for assistance. Thank you!

cc: Kevin J. Kennedy, Director and General Counsel

Pollworker Checklist: 12 Tips for Avoiding Discrepancies in Voter Numbers

For Local Election Officials on Election Day
Twelve Tips for Avoiding Discrepancies in Voter Numbers at End of Elections
(Ensuring your voter numbers are reconciled on February 15, Primary Election Night)

Throughout past elections, the Government Accountability Board staff has had to spend a major amount of time working with clerks to correct voter number disparities that should have been discovered and resolved on election night, before the election results were sent to the municipal clerk.
G.A.B. staff believe the number of discrepancies can be significantly reduced and even eliminated if local election officials take the necessary time to carefully and thoroughly follow the 12 tips that G.A.B. staff prepared for avoiding unexplained, unaccountable and undocumented disparities in voter numbers at the end of election activity on election night.
The problems are discovered by the G.A.B. staff weeks and months following the election. The further in time these “number” problems get from election night, the more difficult they are to resolve.
G.A.B. staff have created the following 12 tips in a checklist formant as a way of helping local election officials and clerks to identify variances in voter numbers on election day/night, and ways to reconcile or resolve such differences before election results for submitted to the municipal clerk.

Click the attachment above to download the checklist.

Polling Place Signage for Photo ID for Feb. 15 Spring Primary

At a meeting with Wisconsin clerks on February 7, 2011, Government Accountability Board staff was asked to provide guidance regarding presentation of photo ID at the polling place during the February 15 Spring Primary. The Wisconsin Legislature is considering bills to require photo ID, and there has been much publicity about the issue. However, nothing has yet been passed or signed into law.
Clerks and staff together developed the attached signage, which clerks may print and distribute to polling places.
This signage may be helpful for clerks in the event there is confusion about whether photo ID is required.
There are two versions of the sign. One is a full page. The other contains two signs per page if clerks wish to save printing costs.

Checklist III for the February Spring Primary

Checklist III for the 2011 Spring Primary is now available on the G.A.B. website: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/recent-communications. Please click the attachment above. This checklist covers post-Election Day activities.

Self Providers or Providers for their Relier(s) should record voter participation and process Election Day registrations in SVRS.
Municipal Clerks should complete the GAB-190 through the WEDCS system within 30 days following the election.
Clerks should compare the response on question 2 of the GAB-190 to the total votes in SVRS. Remember that for the November 2010 election only, there are additional questions for military and overseas voters.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. We look forward to a successful wrap-up of the February Spring Primary! Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov if you have any questions.

cc:    Kevin J. Kennedy
        Director and General Counsel
        Government Accountability Board

Pronunciation Guide – 2011 Spring Election

The pronunciation guide for the 4/5/11 Election is available at the link above. (A pronunciation guide for the special elections in the 60th, 83rd and 94th Assembly Districts will be provided when candidates are known.)

This guide has been sent to Dominion, ES&S and Command Central

If you have questions, please contact Diane Lowe at 608-266-3276 or diane.lowe@wi.gov

Thank you.

Amended Certification of Candidates for Spring Election

Amended Certification of Candidates for the Following Offices:

Justice of the Supreme Court
Columbia County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Green lake County Circuit Court Judge
Marathon County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 5
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 18
Polk County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 6

Certifications: Amended certifications of nomination for the April 5, 2011, Spring Election are attached. The certifications include the offices (listed above) that required a primary. Please choose the certification for your county from the attached file. (Note: Milwaukee County’s certification is separate.)

Ballot Order: A complete listing of candidates, in ballot order, for all offices to be voted for at the Spring Election has been posted to the G.A.B. website. Please refer to this list for the ballot order of candidates for the offices listed on your certification.

If you have any questions concerning this memorandum, please contact me.

Information from WCCA meeting 3/1/2011

At the Wisconsin County Clerks Association meeting on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 in Madison, the attached documents were presented by staff of the Government Accountability Board. Click on the attachment above to view or download.
WCCA members present asked that G.A.B. staff post the information on the website for members who were not able to attend.

March Training Courses Available

Board staff recently completed a multi-week training series for Baseline Chief Inspector training and Municipal Clerk Core training. If you need this type of training prior to the April election, we have scheduled the following classes in the Government Accountability Board’s Madison office in March:

Baseline Chief Inspector Training, March 16, 2011, 9 am – 12 pm: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/education-training/baseline
Municipal Clerk Core Training, March 16, 2011, 1 pm – 4 pm: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/education-training/municipal-clerk-core

Please contact me if you have any questions: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033.

Important Reminders for a Successful April 5, Spring Election

Please see the attached checklist.

Thank you!

Ineligible Voter Lists for the April 5, 2011 Spring Election

Due to miscommunication between our office and our partners who play a critical role in getting the Ineligible Voter Lists produced, these lists for the April 5, 2011 Spring Election are being sent to you later than planned. By Tuesday, March 15, 2011, you should receive copies of the Ineligible Voter Lists for you to distribute to the municipal clerks in your county. As usual, the Cities of Madison and Milwaukee will receive their lists directly.

Please be on the lookout for these lists. The delivery will be made by UPS. (Dane County and City of Madison and Milwaukee County and City of Milwaukee will receive the lists via the State mail service.)
If you did not receive your shipment by noon on Tuesday, March 15, 2011, or if there is a problem with your shipment, please respond by email immediately, so that we may address the issue with high priority. Please send your response to our Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov, or call (608) 261-2028.
If you have questions about the use of these lists, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov.

Thank you.

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Upcoming Events

GAB Special Teleconference Meeting

June 20, 2013 - 9:30am
GAB August 2013 Meeting

August 13, 2013 - 9:00am
GAB October 2013 Meeting

October 22, 2013 - 9:00am

Welcome to our website

We hope you find our website easy to use and navigate.

Click here for more information about the site.

E-mail us with your questions or comments.

Clerks

Frequently Asked Questions

Posters (and Other Items Required to be Posted at Polling Place)

Ballot Containers and Associated Materials

FALL ELECTION

NOTICE OF ELECTION

REFERENDA

COUNTY CANDIDATE CHECKLISTS

OTHER INFORMATION

NOTIFICATION OF NONCANDIDACY

Background

Revised: Retention Policy -- Electronic Election Data and Destruction of Materials Chart

Background

Summary of Absentee Modules in SVRS

How your jurisdiction will be affected by the MOVE requirement to track absentee ballots:

A printable copy of this memorandum is attached below.

Absentee Electors Voting In Person in the Clerk’s Office

Absentee Electors Voting-By Mail

Background

Standards

1. Format of Canvass Report

2. Reporting Units

Background

Action Needed

REGISTERED WRITE-IN CANDIDATES FOR NOVEMBER 2, 2010

Count what you have on Election Day

All voted absentee ballots go to the polling place, even if you get more than one.

Record and report the number of outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots in your municipality.

Absentee Ballots from Military and Overseas Electors Received after Election Day:

Fill out the GAB-190 and GAB-190S and keep updating this information

Document, Document, Document

Before Election Day

Election Day

After Election Day

Background

The “Reports” Screen Has a New Look

Certification Instructions

System Enhancements since September 2010

CLICK ATTACHMENT ABOVE (updated as of 4/12/2011)

Requirements:

Reporting:

Contact:

Please read the Certification of Nomination Memo (attached above).

For Local Election Officials on Election Day Twelve Tips for Avoiding Discrepancies in Voter Numbers at End of Elections (Ensuring your voter numbers are reconciled on February 15, Primary Election Night)

Click the attachment above to download the checklist.

Amended Certification of Candidates for the Following Offices:

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Resources

Upcoming Events

Welcome to our website

For Local Election Officials on Election Day
Twelve Tips for Avoiding Discrepancies in Voter Numbers at End of Elections
(Ensuring your voter numbers are reconciled on February 15, Primary Election Night)