CERA Records Management and Public Records 2

Question 1

Under most state open records laws, how quickly must an election office typically acknowledge receipt of a public records request?

Accepted Answer

Within 3 to 5 business days

Answer

Within 24 hours

Answer

Within 30 calendar days

Answer

Within 60 calendar days

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of a litigation hold in an election office?

Accepted Answer

To suspend the destruction of records relevant to pending or reasonably anticipated litigation

Answer

To speed up the processing of public records requests

Answer

To encrypt voter data before transferring it to courts

Answer

To create duplicate copies of all election records

Question 3

Which standard is most commonly referenced for managing electronic records in government agencies, including election offices?

Accepted Answer

DoD 5015.2

Answer

ISO 9001

Answer

NIST SP 800-53

Answer

IEEE 802.11

Question 4

An election office receives a request for a list of voters who voted in the last primary election. This type of record is generally known as:

Accepted Answer

A poll book or voter history file

Answer

A voter registration list

Answer

A ballot manifest

Answer

A canvass report

Question 5

If a requester asks for records in a specific electronic format, what is the general obligation of most state election offices under modern open records laws?

Accepted Answer

Provide records in the requested format if readily available

Answer

Provide only paper copies regardless of format requested

Answer

Deny requests for electronic formats to protect system security

Answer

Convert all records to PDF before responding

Question 6

What does the term 'vital records' mean in the context of election office records management?

Accepted Answer

Records essential to resuming operations during or after a disaster

Answer

Birth and death certificates filed with the election office

Answer

Records that must be made public within 24 hours

Answer

Records older than 25 years that must be archived

Question 7

Which practice best protects election office electronic records from unauthorized alteration while preserving their long-term accessibility?

Accepted Answer

Using write-once/read-many (WORM) storage with regular backups

Answer

Storing all records on a single shared drive

Answer

Printing all digital records immediately and storing only paper

Answer

Allowing only the chief election officer to access digital files