CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Election Security and Planning Questions and Answers

Question 1

An election administrator is developing a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for a primary election.
A severe thunderstorm is forecast for Election Day, which could lead to power outages at multiple polling locations.
Which of the following is the MOST critical component to include in the COOP for this specific threat?

Accepted Answer

A plan for deploying emergency paper ballots and establishing secure manual voting procedures.

Answer

A list of news media contacts for public announcements.

Answer

Procedures for securing and transporting voting equipment and ballots to an alternate location.

Answer

A roster of on-call IT staff to troubleshoot electronic poll book failures.

Question 2

Which of the following is a primary objective of implementing a strict chain of custody for all election materials?

Accepted Answer

To provide a transparent and auditable trail that ensures materials have not been tampered with.

Answer

To expedite the post-election canvassing process.

Answer

To reduce the number of staff required to handle ballots and equipment.

Answer

To comply with federal media regulations regarding election night reporting.

Question 3

When conducting a physical security assessment of a potential polling place, which factor is of highest importance?

Accepted Answer

The ability to secure voting equipment and ballots from unauthorized access.

Answer

The availability of ample parking for voters and poll workers.

Answer

The presence of an on-site cafeteria for election staff.

Answer

The aesthetic appeal and comfort of the voting area.

Question 4

A local election office discovers its voter registration database has been compromised by a ransomware attack two weeks before an election. According to cybersecurity best practices, what is the most critical immediate step in their incident response plan?

Accepted Answer

Isolate the affected systems from the network and activate the backup and recovery plan.

Answer

Immediately pay the ransom to regain access to the data.

Answer

Issue a press release detailing the full extent of the breach.

Answer

Contact the federal government to request a postponement of the election.

Question 5

Which of the following security measures is most effective for preventing unauthorized access to a centralized voter registration system by election staff?

Accepted Answer

Implementing role-based access control with multi-factor authentication.

Answer

Requiring all staff to attend an annual cybersecurity training seminar.

Answer

Installing firewall and antivirus software on all office computers.

Answer

Conducting daily backups of the voter registration database to an off-site location.

Question 6

During early voting, a water pipe bursts at an early voting center, causing significant flooding and making the location unusable. The contingency plan calls for relocating the center. What is the election administrator's most important immediate responsibility in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Securing all ballots and voting equipment and executing the chain of custody protocol for relocation.

Answer

Contacting the jurisdiction's insurance provider to file a claim.

Answer

Issuing a public apology for the inconvenience to voters.

Answer

Organizing a team to begin cleanup of the damaged facility.