CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Election Law and Ethics Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An election administrator receives a call from a well-known community leader who is also a major donor to the administrator's recent successful reelection campaign. The community leader is requesting that a polling place be relocated to a venue they own, offering it rent-free. Which of the following ethical principles should be the primary guide for the administrator's decision?
- Stewardship of public resources
- Advancing professional excellence
- Impartiality and fairness (Correct answer)
- Personal integrity and honesty
Correct answer: Impartiality and fairness
The core ethical obligation in this scenario is to treat all participants and aspects of the election process impartially and fairly. Accepting the offer, even if it saves money, could create the appearance of favoritism and undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the election process. The decision on polling place location must be based on objective criteria that serve all voters equally, not the influence or generosity of a single individual.
Question 2: According to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), which of the following agencies are required to provide voter registration opportunities to their clients?
- Public libraries and post offices
- State-funded universities and colleges
- Armed Forces recruitment offices
- State agencies providing public assistance, such as WIC or Medicaid (Correct answer)
Correct answer: State agencies providing public assistance, such as WIC or Medicaid
Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) specifically mandates that states must offer voter registration opportunities at all offices providing public assistance (like WIC, SNAP, Medicaid) and at offices that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in serving persons with disabilities.
Question 3: A voter arrives at a polling place, but their name is not on the official list of registered voters for that precinct. The voter insists they are registered and eligible to vote. Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), what is the correct procedure for the poll worker to follow?
- Direct the voter to the central election office to resolve the issue.
- Allow the voter to cast a regular ballot after they sign an affidavit.
- Inform the voter they are not eligible to vote in this election.
- Offer the voter a provisional ballot to cast. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Offer the voter a provisional ballot to cast.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) guarantees that if a voter's name does not appear on the official list of registered voters, they have the right to cast a provisional ballot. This ballot is kept separate and is counted only after election officials have verified the voter's eligibility.
Question 4: Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) requires certain jurisdictions to provide bilingual voting materials and assistance. A jurisdiction is determined to be covered under this section based on criteria established by which federal agency?
- The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
- The U.S. Census Bureau (Correct answer)
- The Department of Justice (DOJ)
- The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
Correct answer: The U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau makes the determination of which jurisdictions are covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. These determinations are based on data from the American Community Survey regarding the number of voting-age citizens who are members of a single language minority group, have limited English proficiency, and have an illiteracy rate higher than the national average.
Question 5: An election official is also a candidate for a non-partisan local office, such as a school board. During the campaign, the official's campaign committee receives a large contribution from a vendor that has a current contract with the elections office. Which of the following is the BEST course of action for the election official to take to avoid an ethical conflict of interest?
- Ensure the contribution is properly reported on campaign finance forms.
- Return the contribution and politely explain the need to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.
- Recuse themselves from any future contract decisions involving that vendor. (Correct answer)
- Accept the contribution but create an internal memo documenting that it will not influence official decisions.
Correct answer: Recuse themselves from any future contract decisions involving that vendor.
While reporting the contribution is required, and recusal is a good step, the most effective way to eliminate both the actual and perceived conflict of interest is to return the contribution. This action demonstrates a firm commitment to impartiality and protects the integrity of the public office from any suggestion that decisions could be influenced by campaign donations.
Question 6: Which of the following is a primary requirement of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) regarding voting systems?
- All voting must be conducted on paper ballots.
- All jurisdictions must use the same model of voting machine.
- Voting systems must allow voters to verify their choices and correct errors before casting their ballot. (Correct answer)
- All voting systems must provide a fingerprint scanner for voter identification.
Correct answer: Voting systems must allow voters to verify their choices and correct errors before casting their ballot.
A key provision of HAVA is the requirement that voting systems allow a voter to review their selections and make corrections before the ballot is officially cast. This helps prevent voter errors and ensures the voter's intent is accurately recorded.
CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Election Law and Ethics Questions and Answers
An election administrator receives a call from a well-known community leader who is also a major donor to the administrator's recent successful reelection campaign.
The community leader is requesting that a polling place be relocated to a venue they own, offering it rent-free.
Which of the following ethical principles should be the primary guide for the administrator's decision?