CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Voter Registration and Maintenance Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which of the following is an impermissible reason for systematically removing a voter from the registration list?
- Receipt of a death certificate for the voter.
- The voter has not voted in several consecutive federal elections. (Correct answer)
- Confirmation in writing from the voter that they have moved out of the jurisdiction.
- A felony conviction, in accordance with state law.
Correct answer: The voter has not voted in several consecutive federal elections.
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 explicitly prohibits removing a voter from the rolls solely for their failure to vote. While inactivity can trigger a process to confirm a voter's status, it cannot be the only reason for removal. Legitimate reasons for removal include the voter's death, a written request from the voter, a change of address outside the jurisdiction, or a disqualifying criminal conviction.
Question 2: An election administrator in a new jurisdiction is tasked with establishing a voter list maintenance program. According to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), what is a core requirement for their voter registration system?
- The system must be decentralized and managed at the municipal level.
- It must require all voters to re-register every ten years.
- It must be a single, uniform, centralized, statewide database. (Correct answer)
- The system must be purged of all inactive voters 30 days before a federal election.
Correct answer: It must be a single, uniform, centralized, statewide database.
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 mandated the creation of a single, centralized, statewide voter registration database in each state to ensure accuracy and prevent issues like voters being registered in multiple counties. This replaced older systems where registration lists were often maintained only at the local or county level.
Question 3: A county election office receives a data file from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). This data is most likely to be used for what purpose in their list maintenance activities?
- To identify individuals who may have voted in more than one state. (Correct answer)
- To automatically remove voters who appear on the list of movers.
- To prosecute individuals for voter fraud without further investigation.
- To identify partisan affiliation for get-out-the-vote campaigns.
Correct answer: To identify individuals who may have voted in more than one state.
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is a multi-state partnership that helps member states improve the accuracy of their voter rolls. States use ERIC data by comparing their voter lists with data from other member states and official sources like motor vehicle departments and death records to identify voters who may have moved, died, or have duplicate registrations across states.
Question 4: An election official is processing a batch of returned, undeliverable mail that was sent to registered voters. According to the NVRA, if a voter does not respond to a notice sent to their registered address, what is the next step the official must take before removing the voter from the rolls?
- Immediately remove the voter from the registration list.
- Publish the voter's name in a local newspaper.
- Send a second notice by certified mail.
- Wait for the voter to fail to vote in two consecutive federal general elections. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Wait for the voter to fail to vote in two consecutive federal general elections.
Under the NVRA, if a voter fails to respond to a change-of-address notice, the election official cannot immediately remove them. The voter's registration is marked as 'inactive,' and they can only be removed from the rolls if they fail to vote or update their record through the period of the next two federal general elections.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key provision of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) related to the 90-day period immediately preceding a federal election?
- All list maintenance activities must be accelerated to ensure clean rolls for the election.
- Systematic, program-based removal of voters from the rolls is prohibited. (Correct answer)
- Voters are allowed to register and vote on the same day in all states.
- A complete audit of the entire statewide voter registration database must be completed.
Correct answer: Systematic, program-based removal of voters from the rolls is prohibited.
The NVRA establishes a 'quiet period' for the 90 days before a federal election. During this time, states are prohibited from conducting systematic list maintenance programs that remove voters' names from the rolls. Removals can still be made based on individualized reasons, such as a voter's direct request or confirmation of death, but broad purges are not allowed.
Question 6: A voter registers to vote for the first time by mail and does not provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. According to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), what will this voter likely be required to do?
- Register to vote again in person.
- Provide a sworn affidavit of identity to the election board.
- Present a form of identification when they vote for the first time. (Correct answer)
- Vote only by provisional ballot in all future elections.
Correct answer: Present a form of identification when they vote for the first time.
HAVA requires that first-time voters who registered by mail and did not provide verifiable identification must present a form of ID when they vote. This can be either a current photo ID or a document like a utility bill or bank statement that shows the voter's name and address.
CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Voter Registration and Maintenance Questions and Answers
Under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which of the following is an impermissible reason for systematically removing a voter from the registration list?