Articles

Posted on

Beyond the Ballot with Karen Brinson Bell: Leveraging Teamwork and Innovation in Elections

By Morgan Thomas, Policy Associate

Karen Brinson Bell is no stranger to public service. In 2019, she was selected as the North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director. Brinson Bell’s father was the mayor of her small, eastern North Carolina hometown when she was born and worked in government for most of his career, which inspired her to study political science and mass communications at the University of North Carolina Ashville. After college, she initially worked in journalism and nonprofits before becoming a trainer and recruiter for a regional real estate company.

Her training background prompted a friend to recommend she apply for a new temporary position working in elections with the North Carolina State Board of Elections. She applied for the position and was hired as a district elections technician, serving twelve counties in Western North Carolina from 2006-2011. The job became available because of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which provided states with funding to replace dated voting equipment. Karen’s position was focused on training staff on the new voting equipment and supporting the counties in whatever form they needed. 

“There was a county where the director’s husband had a massive heart attack the night before the election, and she only had a seasonal part-time worker,” said Brinson Bell. “That person got the election going, and I came in that night to help out. So, you know, whatever was needed is where I stepped in, and that prepared me to be a county elections director.”  

After her time as a district elections technician, Brinson Bell went on to serve as the election director for Transylvania County, a small county outside of Asheville, from 2011-2015. From there, she went on to work for a software elections vendor who provided software services for inventory management and poll worker assignments to counties while also consulting on ranked-choice voting election administration. Brinson Bell’s deep understanding and expertise in ranked choice voting election administration led to her involvement with the formation of the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. North Carolina was the first state to utilize statewide ranked-choice voting since the early 1900s in the 2010 runoff election. It was during this time, and assisting Hendersonville, NC, with ranked choice voting elections, that Brinson Bell established herself as a subject matter expert in this field. 

“There was a time when I was one of the most experienced election administrators in ranked-choice voting in the country,” she said.  

Shortly after her consulting work, Brinson Bell was appointed as the North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director in June 2019. As an election director, she serves as the chief election official in the state and has oversight of all 100 county boards of elections. This includes overseeing the conduct of elections, voter registration, election reporting, candidate filing and campaign finance. To streamline election information and campaign finance reporting across counties and the state, the North Carolina Board of Elections developed an in-house system called SEIMS beginning in 1998. Brinson Bell and her team set out to revamp and modernize SEIMS in the coming year thanks to recent funding aimed at updating the in-house system.  

“In 1998, our very own in-house development team developed a state election information management system, we call it SEIMS,” she said. “It was one of the first statewide voter registration systems, and it’s something that we have continued to build out. We essentially have 13 modules now provided to the counties so that all counties are linked through the SEIMS system.” 

Brinson Bell is the fourth elections director for North Carolina and the only elections director to have had first-hand experience at both the county and state levels. She credits her experience with the county for shaping her approach to training her team. 

“We call ourselves Team 101 because we have 100 county boards of elections and one state board all working together,” she said. 

One way Team 101 works together is through the “HUBS” program, an acronym that stands for “help us become successful.” Each hub is focused on a different area of election administration. 

“For example, there’s a hub for in-person voting and absentee voting by mail, and each hub is made up of subject matter experts within our agency who directly work in that subject area. We try to make sure there is a mix of experts from large and small counties to ensure we have varying perspectives coming to the table,” said Brinson Bell. 

Finding innovative ways to train and share knowledge amongst her colleagues at the state and county levels is one way Brinson Bell helps communicate updates or changes in the elections administration process. With over 19 years of experience in the elections space, she has witnessed many changes in the administration of elections. When asked about what changes she’s witnessed over the years, she noted technology as the most significant change.   

“When I worked in field support at the district level, I did not have a smartphone; we had to use a real map,” said Brinson Bell. 

“Once I moved to the county level, they still had two typewriters in the office, and I remember saying we have got to move forward. Now, we have electronic voting equipment, electronic voter registration database systems, and other electronic processes, and I’ve seen a positive progression of technology in that regard.” 

Technology also played a significant role during the COVID-19 Pandemic, when many election processes had to move to an electronic platform and election offices nationwide had to incorporate virtual elements into their typical workflow. 

“Our counties started utilizing Teams and Zoom for meetings, training and conferences. We started having virtual huddles twice a month to keep officials apprised of new procedures, laws or court proceedings. We also had outside organizations like the EAC and CISA provide virtual training for us. That was really helpful,” said Brinson Bell.  

Another change she noted was how the complexity of elections has changed over time. The increasing use of technology in elections also necessitates complex cybersecurity requirements and a greater understanding of new voting equipment and election laws to better serve today’s voters. Today, Brinson Bell believes election administrators have to take on more roles than compared to the past. 

“There is just so much. The complexity of the laws, the technology and, in my state, the sheer volume of our registered voting population is more than 7 million voters now,” she said. “I also think elections becoming classified as critical infrastructure has just put elections in more of the spotlight now. We as elections officials need to be fluent in more complex procedures.” 

The complexity of election administration has presented challenges in the election space. Brinson Bell cited the increase in administrator turnover as one of the biggest challenges that North Carolina and many other states face. In particular, county election directors across North Carolina have seen the most turnover in recent years. 

“We have experienced a change in county election directors 60 times since January 2019. Some of that comes from harassment, hostility and the overall increased tension of working in elections,” said Brinson Bell. 

She believes that “more consistent funding across the board” could help states mitigate this issue. More funding would allow counties to hire more people to help implement new changes and help ease some of the stress for election officials.  

“Some of the turnover is due to a lack of adequate funding. Jobs are more technologically complex than election administration positions used to be. We need more funding to ensure we have enough people, tools and subject matter expertise to conduct elections as effectively and securely as possible,” said Brinson Bell.  

Conducting a federal election during a global pandemic was challenging. However, it also presented election officials with an opportunity to pivot and learn about emergency preparedness. 

“I recall telling the counties that we would need to wear another hat and become public health experts,” said Brinson Bell. “Here in North Carolina, we started having statewide exercises with the county emergency management and law enforcement team to work proactively and not reactively. We were able to build a good relationship with them, and in 2022, we developed a law enforcement guide for election laws, and in 2024, we started a course on elections for law enforcement.” 

Not only does North Carolina have a large, registered voting population, but it also has one of the largest military populations in the country. Although the state’s large military presence is not reflected in its smaller number of UOCAVA voters compared to the overall voting population. Nonetheless, Brinson Bell believes that it is crucial to ensure a smooth voting experience for military voters in her state. 

“It’s of utmost importance for us to ensure that military voters can exercise their right to vote, and that is what pushed us to create the UOCAVA portal on our state website,” she said. 

The UOCAVA portal is designed to make voting information, deadlines, forms and other voting materials more accessible to servicemembers and overseas citizens. North Carolina law allows for electronic transmission, so these voters can also use the portal to request and return their ballot. In addition to creating the portal, North Carolina has revised their website to be concise and straightforward by removing confusing election terminology. For example, using words such as military and overseas citizens rather than the term UOCAVA. Election officials in North Carolina also visit military bases to conduct in-person training on voting as a servicemember. Brinson Bell also noted that utilizing social media has not only helped reach domestic voters but also communicate voting information to UOCAVA voters as well. 

“We utilize social media campaigns and our website to help build voter confidence by giving them accurate and digestible information.,” said Brinson Bell.  

Not only does Brinson Bell serve North Carolina voters in her role as Executive Director, but she is also actively involved with many national organizations focused on elections. She serves as the incoming President of the National Association of State Election Directors and sits on the conference planning board for the Committee for Election Science Reform and Administration. She is also involved with the Election Assistance Commission and the Bipartisan Policy Center Elections Task Force. When she is not serving in one of her many roles, Brinson Bell enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and attending North Carolina State basketball and football games. 

Posted on

Beyond the Ballot with Wayne Bena: Flexibility is Key for Election Success

By Lexington Souers, Communications Associate

Wayne Bena likes to say his best friend’s daughter’s birthday party launched his career in elections. While at the party, Bena spoke to the then Sarpy County election commissioner, who was considering retirement, about her role in local elections. Pulling from his experience in the state legislature and private practice, Bena thought his skills would be the “right fit” for the role. In 2010, he was appointed Sarpy County election commissioner and has worked in elections ever since.

Sarpy County is Nebraska’s third-largest county and home to the Offutt Air Force Base. Having grown up in the area, Bena knew about some of the stress military families face.

“While not from a military background myself, I understood it by having a lot of friends who were in the military that moved frequently,” Bena said.  “When I got to my job in elections, I realized all the different protections and different things we did to help military families and overseas citizens with their vote. It was very important to me, especially being in a place where we had a big concentration of military members, even if they weren’t residents of our state. I knew if I took care of my folks, other states would take care of our folks that were there.”

Lessons learned from working at the county level were pivotal when, in 2017, Bena joined the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office as the deputy secretary of state for elections. In this role, he continued his support of military and overseas voters, due in large part to his belief that “there’s nothing more pure than getting a ballot out to those that need a little more assistance because of where they are.”

Through legislation, Bena helped expand access to National Guard members and utility workers who are working out of state for national disasters. Inspiration for the legislation came from Mississippi, a state where Bena learned from leaders to better understand what was possible from a legislative and practical standpoint.

The bill, LB 843 (2022), focuses on changes to Nebraska’s election laws, including revising Section 32-939 to extend UOCAVA protections to Nebraska National Guard members while out of state. Additionally, a new section was added to allow emergency response and utility workers to request an early voting ballot if they are working outside of Nebraska 45 days before an election.

This was just one example of the changes Bena implemented while in office. He said expanding audits after elections is important to increasing the transparency of elections with voters. Bena added that cybersecurity is an emerging challenge in election administration.

“While elections have always been secure — on state levels and going down to the locals — there’s an enhanced look at where some vulnerabilities could be and how we can work with our state, local and federal partners to fill in any gaps,” Bena said.

Additionally, Bena said voters are looking for more ways to cast their ballots, and that adaptations are needed to ensure laws remain flexible while maximizing the number of votes counted by election night, even with rising concerns about security.

“It is not as complicated as long as you have the laws in place to be flexible and allow your election officials enough time to count your ballots on election night and have as many votes counted as possible before the end of the night,” Bena said. “Because, the next day, that’s when everybody starts asking more questions — why are there more results? Each state is different on how ballots are counted, but if you can have laws that allow for flexibility in regard to the administration on the back end, you can get more done on election night to be able to count the most ballots as possible.”

To answer questions about voting safely during COVID-19, Bena and his team relied on the flexibility of both election laws and local election officials. They decided to send early ballot applications to registered voters while still offering in-person voting. Additionally, Bena made sure to provide poll workers and offices personal protective equipment and started the Step Up campaign to recruit new poll workers. This work resulted in the most ballots cast in the state’s primary history.

“Our laws allow that flexibility to be able to adjust regardless of how people voted to be able to have results,” Bena said. “Just having that election was a great accomplishment for the state, but to have the most ballots cast in the history of a primary was a kind of cherry on top.”

Bena attributed some of the success during COVID-19, and in other elections, to the commitment made through legislation, offering all voters early voting, recruiting new poll workers and providing personal protective equipment for those working in elections to assist all of Nebraska’s 93 counties. In 2020, Bena also helped implement a statewide election equipment update.

“We tried to find ways to level the playing field for counties that may not have the same type of funding as other counties for the same type of services,” Bena said.

Bena and the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office won the inaugural National Association of State Election Directors Innovators Award in 2019 for the state’s use of the Albert Network Monitoring and Management system, which protects voter registration systems used by state and local government entities from cyber threats.

“While the technology is not unique, how Nebraska deployed the technology was unique, and we were fortunate enough to get a little recognition for that,” Bena said.

Nebraska has approximately 2,704 uniformed and overseas voters, who often experience difficulties receiving or sending election materials. Using technology such as email and the Voter Information Center allows election officials to transmit these materials to voters in a timely manner. Bena said Nebraska laws that enable the use of electronic ballot return help reduce the overall anxiety that overseas voters may feel about the voting process.

For example, a Nebraskan who was locked down overseas during the pandemic reached out to Bena’s office due to an inability to scan and return a document. Bena worked with the voter to ensure the ballot was returned by taking a picture with a tablet and sending it electronically.  

“It’s finding ways within the margins of the law to be able to get that ballot back in order to be counted,” Bena said. “Every way that we can figure out how to help somebody is very meaningful.”

Posted on

Beyond the Ballot with Stuart Holmes: Digital Native Leads State Elections into New Era

By Morgan Thomas, Policy Associate

Before serving as Director of Elections for Washington, Stuart Holmes grew up surrounded by technology. His mother worked as Benton County, Washington’s IT Director, exposing him to technology at a young age. “I remember the days of figuring out dial-up and AOL with her,” Holmes recalled. “Growing up around computers, I figured I would follow the same career path as my mom.”  

Stuart Holmes set out to follow in his mother’s footsteps and attended Columbia Basin College, where he studied Network Administration. In May 2005, Holmes’ began working as an archival specialist for the Benton County Auditor’s office where he oversaw digitizing various records. During his time there, Holmes had a front-row view of all the behind-the-scenes work election officials had to do.  

“I was sitting there scanning documents and watching them do their jobs and was just fascinated by it,” Holmes said.  

Technology slowly made its way into elections, resulting in the creation of a full-time election assistant position at the Benton County Auditor’s office. As modern voting equipment was being introduced, Holmes embarked on this opportunity to combine his background in technology with his newfound passion for elections. At the auditor’s office, Holmes became an election specialist in 2007 and then an election supervisor in 2009. Establishing himself in elections work, Holmes was then promoted to election administrator after becoming a certified election and voter registration administrator through the National Association of Election Officials. Today, Holmes serves as the Director of Elections under the Washington Secretary of State.  

With over a decade of experience in elections, Holmes has witnessed many transitions in the elections space. One of the most significant changes that he echoes, along with many election officials, is the evolution of security concerns.  

“Cybersecurity has been an area of focus since roughly 2005. However, we’ve entered this new era where the risk matrix is changing, and we need to keep up with that. Every few months, a new security concern arises. It could be cybersecurity today, physical security tomorrow, and something else down the line. Right now, it’s battling misinformation. That’s what makes the job fun! It’s never boring, and we must keep up with the flow.”  

Rising security concerns have challenged election officials across the country. Many offices struggle to retain election administrators due to the high pressure and high burnout environment of the field. “In elections, you’re either going to get in or get out real quick. It’s not for everyone.,” said Holmes.  

When asked about how to help mitigate some of these security concerns, he listed funding and more in-person interactions as two essential pieces.  

“Funding is super important. There’s a lot of funding currently focused on cybersecurity efforts. Still, we also need funding for technology hardware, physical security, and finding more ways to collaborate and share solutions to common problems.”  

He also suggests more in-person interactions as a tool to help combat misinformation and disinformation about elections.  

“Everything is virtual now. We live stream, post on social media and communicate primarily through technology. A lot goes on behind the scenes that most people don’t get the chance to see. I think we need to coordinate more office tours, for example. Coordinating communication with county partners to come to observe in person what really occurs during a typical election operation. Showing people all the work that goes into an election and all the people working to ensure their vote is secure could help build trust in elections.” 

However, Holmes identified one topic that has prevailed over the years: paper-based voting. He noted that “having a physical record of the voters’ choices has not changed along with everything else around that like accountability, auditability and transparency, which are all steadily being improved.”  

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has become a crucial part of elections. More and more voters rely on the internet, news sources and social media to get election information. Technology has made it easier to capture multiple languages, create accessible voting for people with disabilities and help increase communication between election offices and voters. “People just expect technology to be a part of their lives at this point,” said Holmes. However, he noted that while we “should embrace technology”, he also believes we need to “embrace its constraints” as well. 

New technology means more technological expertise is required, according to Holmes.  

“We get very reliant on these intricate systems that require a subject matter expert, and when those individual leaves, all of a sudden, you’re like, holy smokes! How do we use this system we’ve come to rely on without that expert? We need to do a better job of making sure we also come up with analog solutions.”   

Technology has also allowed for greater communication and outreach to voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Reaching UOCAVA voters and ensuring they have all the information needed to cast their vote comes with its own set of challenges, and the state of Washington has roughly 85,000 registered UOCAVA voters. 

“One of the main challenges we face is getting an accurate mailing address (for a UOCAVA voter). Even with an accurate mailing address, it can be difficult to know if the ballot actually made it to the voter. Electronic ballot submission has been really helpful in combating this. With so many bases, we try to develop strong partnerships with the voting assistance officers at each base to ensure they relay accurate voting information,” said Holmes. 

A large UOCAVA population also means there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to effective communication. Holmes noted that “trying to reach younger military personnel in particular can be difficult in one fail swoop.” To help identify preferred communication methods for different voting populations, Holmes and his staff actively seek out opportunities to reach these voters.   

“I have a staff member whose job is primarily dedicated to reaching out to younger voters, UOCAVA voters, voters with disabilities and even voters who might need information in different languages.” 

Additionally, Holmes’ office has a Community Engagement Program that actively works with underrepresented communities to teach them about elections and voting as well as how to interact with the government.  

“Not only is it important to talk about elections, but people also need to understand how city councils and school boards work,” said Holmes.  

The Community Engagement Program was established in July 2022 and facilitates tours for election offices and military bases. The office recently completed its first major community project, commissioning murals in three major cities throughout the state. The murals are centered around educating community members on the restoration of voting rights. 

2020 was a significant election year for election officials across the country. One of Holmes’ key takeaways from the election was, “to spend a lot more time planning and coordinating for the unexpected.” As we enter another election year in 2024, Holmes re-emphasized the importance of safety for election officials.  

“The ability to feel safe when you perform your job during an election is so important. Something positive that did come out of 2020 was state legislatures also acknowledging the importance of safety for election officials. Going into 2024, we need to prepare for anything and everything while also focusing on execution.”  

Aside from working in elections, Holmes makes time for hobbies as well. He enjoys photography, watching movies, hiking and trail running with his dog, Charlotte. When asked if he could give any advice to those interested in working in elections, he said to start with a goal in mind. 

“Set a long-term goal for where you want to go. It took me ten years to get to the Secretary of State’s office. Take the appropriate steps to get to your goal and be ok with being turned down for positions. I was turned down for deputy director twice. Having a goal will keep you moving in the right direction.”

Posted on

Beyond the Ballot with Natalie Adona: Despite Challenges, Work in Elections is the “Best Job in the World”

By Morgan Thomas, Policy Associate

Driven to serve, Nevada County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Natalie Adona started off her career in elections as a poll worker while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Then, she heard that the City and County of San Francisco had temporary positions for voter registration processers. Deciding to further pursue work in elections, Adona applied.

At her interview, Adona was asked about her interest in elections. She described her experience as a poll worker and her work as a research assistant on poll worker training with the Election Administration Research Center at the UCB campus. Although she applied to be become a voter registration processer, the election’s manager offered an alternative suggestion.

“They said well, you did all this research didn’t you? Why not train poll workers?”, Adona said.

 She accepted the position and went on to begin her first foray into election administration.

“Something clicked in my mind that said oh, I get it now. This is cool! I think I’ve found what I want to do,” Adona said. 

The excitement came to a sudden halt when the housing crisis of 2008 started to affect local government offices. Many county offices started downsizing, eliminating the possibility that Adona’s position could become permanent. This led Adona to pursue internships in elections research with nonprofits, such as Project Vote and Maplight.org. Adona went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law in 2014, her Master of Public Administration from the American University’s School of Public Affairs in 2015, and began working with Democracy Fund in Washington, D.C.

Following her grandfather’s death in 2019, Adona moved back home to Nevada County, California, where she assumed a new role as an Assistant Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters under Greg Diaz. In the last years of his tenure, Diaz tried to convince Adona to run for office as the Nevada County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters.

 Adona repeatedly said she was “not the running type.” But given the challenges to election administration and the loss of institutional knowledge in the state, Adona filed to run anyway.

After a grueling campaign, Adona was elected on June 7, 2022. Running for office “was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done,” Adona said.

After years of working in the election space, Adona witnessed many changes, including the implementation of a statewide voter registration database in California. “While most states use a top-down method, where the state filters voter registration information to the counties, California is a bottom-up state, where counties keep a local voter registration database that filters up to the state level,” Adona Said. 

As a result, “there is a constant flow of data, meaning that we have to focus on synchronization to ensure the data is the same between the counties and the state,” Adona said.

Another change was the addition of same-day voter registration — both in-person and online. Allowing for online same-day voter registration expanded access to UOCAVA voters who often face unique voting challenges abroad.  

“It didn’t seem fair that our UOCAVA voters couldn’t register the same day simply because they couldn’t physically do so in person,” Adona said. “That big adjustment had a very positive impact.” 

Coming from a military family, Adona believes it is essential to ensure that overseas voters are granted the same opportunity to vote. However, reaching overseas voters can be challenging for small offices. 

“My county has about 500 registered UOCAVA voters and although that’s not a large number, it’s still difficult to determine what exactly they need,” Adona said. “Currently, we are trying to make a trifold that includes information on ballot tracking and other voting information to include in their voting materials that get sent out.”

Adona noted the increased difficulty in communicating voting requirements to overseas voters.

“It’s already difficult explaining the rules to domestic voters, so we’re hoping that condensing down the information will help ensure that our UOCAVA voters know what’s available to them,” Adona said.  

Another adjustment that Adona, and many election officials, have observed over the years is the increased complexity of elections. Upon returning to California, Adona noted changes to the primary system, as well as in the voting equipment and technology that were used.

“Elections have become more complex and, thus, require more technical expertise than they used to,” Adona said. 

While some might see these changes as negative, Adona views them in a positive light.

“With new equipment comes new system certification standards, new regulations for conducting elections and new training,” Adona said. “Our election officials and poll workers are becoming more and more knowledgeable, which adds to the enhanced security of elections over the years.” 

In recent years, elections have been bombarded by misinformation and disinformation campaigns, leading to distrust in elections and election officials. As professionals and experts in their field, election officials are tasked with reassuring the public that voting equipment and technologies are secure despite the claims leveled against them.

“If I could put something on a list of things I never thought would happen, it would be California becoming a hotbed for misinformation and disinformation,” Adona said. “I never imagined misinformation and disinformation would have such a negative impact on elections in my state and across the country.”

Combating misinformation and disinformation can be challenging for any election office. Offices have struggled in recent years with worker retention due to increased concerns regarding their personal safety, which is one of the negative, downstream impacts that false information has had on elections.

“My office is very small; we only have three full-time staff and around fifteen temporary staff,” Adona said. “When misinformation and disinformation hits our office, it really puts a strain on the staff and our daily operations.”

Adona said funding is the number one resource to help address the challenges associated with worker retention and election safety. 

“Funding, funding, funding! Misinformation and disinformation have riled people up in such a way that it’s becoming more and more dangerous,” Adona said. “Funding is critical to help address not only physical safety but also the safety of the ballots and the overall well-being of the workers themselves. Elections are a fundamental element of democracy and need to be treated as critical infrastructure which requires money.” 

Although there are many challenges that come with her position — security, tackling misinformation and disinformation, and high worker turnover — Adona still speaks fondly about elections. 

“I have the best job in the world!” Adona said. “Seeing how excited people are to tell me that they voted brings me so much joy. Elections are one of the greatest and most important jobs in the world. Even on my worst day, I wouldn’t want to do anything else.” 

Posted on

Beyond the Ballot with Paul Pate: Election Official’s History of Public Service, Business and Political Success Led to Transforming Secretary of State Role

By Lexington Souers, Communications Associate

Raised in a family focused on giving back, and pulling from a successful career in business, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate recognized the power of government action.

At age 29, Pate became the youngest member of the Iowa Senate and embarked on a path toward his current role. Following the conclusion of his first of two spells as secretary of state in 1998, Pate continued his service to Iowans as mayor of Cedar Rapids and president of Iowa’s League of Cities. He also served at the national level with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, with a specific focus on housing.

“I was raised in a family where my folks really underscored public service and giving back,” Pate said. “If you’re going to be fortunate enough to do well in life, you need to give back. We live in great communities and great states, but not everybody has the same successes, and you want to try to bring some of that back to them.”

Throughout Pate’s tenure in each role, he saw the impact that he and his staff were making. Similar to his broad reach as secretary of state, his role as president of Iowa’s League of Cities allowed him to be a difference maker for the residents, he represented in more than 900 Iowa cities.

“That was an eye opener,” Pate said. “You’re talking about towns as small as a couple of 100 people compared to our larger cities, and trying to balance out how we help all those communities have the resources and knowledge they need to be competitive.”

Nearly eight years ago, Pate returned to the Iowa Office of the Secretary of State. This time, he entered with increased attention on elections due to rapid changes in technology. According to Pate, he needed “jumpstart” those effort in the office, especially given the rise of social media and voting by mail.

Pate stressed the need for a trusted source for elections, whether it through his office or the local elections commissioner.

“The big concern I had then, and I have today even more so, is if the public loses confidence in the integrity of our election for whatever reason — whether it’s foreign interference or even local — then our republic has fallen,” Pate said. “And they wouldn’t have done it without firing a single shot. That’s alarming to me.”

Pate promotes a “trusted source” approach, which includes voter I.D. laws, random audits of elections and public pretesting of tabulators. While he said there are still hurdles, being transparent has led to increased trust and support by the public.

Increasing overseas voting and the role of military voters was also an important goal for Pate, who promoted a 120-day extension for certain service members. He added auditing occurs for military members requesting absentee ballots, accounting for how military service has changed. Included among these members are an influx of reservists and guardsmen who have been posted overseas.

“They are voters. They have a lot of involvement and commitment to their local communities because they know the candidates in their town,” Pate said. “They still want to stay in touch with that. We work hard with the local command and make sure those folks have what they need. I’m not going to just count on somebody handling it from the military or the Department of Defense. I want to do what we can on the local level to give them that information.”

Iowa Safe at Home is another program endorsed by Pate, offering address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence and other crimes. Through the program, victims can register their addresses with the Office of the Secretary of State, protecting what would otherwise be public information from potential bad actors.

“I can report now that we’re seeing a significant uptick of folks who are survivors of very unfortunate situations that have come out of the dark to rejoin their communities and are stepping up and voting again,” Pate said. “I think Safe at Home is a big part of that.”

Iowa has one of the highest voter turnouts in the country, which Pate attributes to Iowa’s community and length of life as well as a civically minded culture. Pate said he supports a curriculum for students to understand the importance of Iowa’s caucus system. Students, in turn, help educate their parents. Teachers can also use an Elections 101 curriculum to provide modules showing the importance of elections.

Before the formal election, youth from across the state participate in a youth straw poll. The Office of the Secretary of State provides a digital copy of the official ballot or students can vote using an online poll. Results are reported in real time.

“I find the straw poll very intriguing because we do it ahead of the adult election and these young people across the state are pretty darn close to being on the mark of what the results will be,” Pate said. “When we dug a little deeper, we found out you can attribute it to — believe it or not — people still talk over the dinner table. This shows me that the parents and kids are talking about it.”

Education outside of the classroom became a key component of Pate’s role as secretary of state, especially given the rise in misinformation. Pate said it is not his role to censor free speech, but instead ensure Iowans know when and where to vote, among other key points. This is done through voter ready websites and online voter registration, as well as partnering with organizations like the NAACP and the NRA to promote voter toolkits.

“I believe myself and my colleagues are the referees,” Pate said. “We administer the laws of the land and make sure we offer as much transparency as we can. That consistency and transparency is what the voters need and expect to have confidence in the elections process. The more I, and my peers, can make sure that is out there, upfront on a regular basis, the more successful we will be on both encouraging people to vote and believing in the results.”

Pate and his office partner with numerous federal organizations to monitor the security of Iowa’s elections at every level. The FBI, CIA and even white hat hackers are among them. Local offices are often smaller and are handling more than just elections, according to Pate. As a result, the statewide office may need to handle trainings, recruiting poll workers or security measures.

“I’ve been able to push out that security to our local level because you’re only as good as your weakest point,” Pate said. “With 99 jurisdictions out there, we wanted to make sure they had the same kind of protection. We have endpoint protection for them, which means 24 hours a day we’re monitoring their systems for outside intrusions so no one can manipulate our voter databases.”

Posted on

Beyond the Ballot with Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Dedication to State Government and Elections Drive Secretary of State’s Career

By Morgan Thomas, Policy Associate

Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Secretary Maggie Toulouse Oliver always wanted to work in government. However, like most election officials, Secretary Toulouse Oliver didn’t grow up dreaming of one day becoming an election administrator. Her passion for elections grew as she gained more experience working on campaigns, voter education and outreach. Now having worked in elections for over two decades, Toulouse Oliver has leveraged her work experience to become the 26th Secretary of State of New Mexico.

Continue reading “Beyond the Ballot with Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Dedication to State Government and Elections Drive Secretary of State’s Career”
Posted on

Voting in Presidential Primaries and the General Election Differ for UOCAVA Voters

By Grace Gordon, Research Lead and Project Manager

Introduction

Presidential primaries work in unique and complex ways for overseas voters. Overseas citizens can vote in either their state-specific primary or, in some cases, a primary explicitly for overseas citizens. However, registering to vote in a presidential primary specifically for overseas citizens does not constitute registration for your state’s upcoming elections.

Before the 2024 presidential election, all overseas voters should ensure their state voter registration is up to date. To do this, overseas voters must double-check with their state or local election office ahead of the UOCAVA registration deadline for November’s presidential election. To ensure they receive their ballot in time, these voters should register using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or through the voters’ home state formal process.

Background

In 1986, Congress passed the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This act permitted “absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters to use absentee registration procedures and to vote by absentee ballot in general, special, primary, and runoff elections for Federal office.” All states have designated processes for overseas voters to register to vote and cast a ballot. While the methods differ from state to state, all states accept the Federal Post Card Application as a form of registration for federal elections. For presidential party primaries, there are different methods for overseas voters to register to vote and cast a ballot.

In general elections, known as presidential elections, voters vote in their home state and electors in that state cast their vote for president based on the popular vote. Party primaries differ from the general election in several ways. Instead of electors casting votes based on the election results in each state or territory, delegates cast votes at the party convention. Each party has a different process for selecting delegates. Most delegates for the Democratic convention are chosen based on proportional representation. Whereas the Republican party primary uses a combination of proportional and winner-take-all representation decided by the states. Democrats Abroad is an organization that conducts a Global Presidential Primary for all overseas voters registered with the organization. Democrats Abroad receives several votes at the Democratic National Convention, which are allocated to delegates based on the results of the Global Presidential Primary.

Overseas voters who want to register to vote in the Democratic primary have two paths. They can register directly with Democrats Abroad and have their vote count towards the Democrats Abroad delegate allocation, or they can register directly with their state and put their vote towards their states’ delegates. There is no organization equivalent for registered Republicans, and Republicans living overseas must register with their state to vote in the Republican Party Primary.

All voters must register to vote for the general election in their state regardless of their political party affiliation. Voters registered with Democrats Abroad in the primary must ensure that their state registration is active through the state absentee registration process or use the FPCA to register and cast a ballot.

FPCA and Voter Registration Processes

The FPCA offers a streamlined, easy-to-use voter registration and absentee ballot request form for overseas voters. In some states, the FPCA is accepted as an application to vote for all state and federal contests; in others, it is just a request for federal contests. To access the form, qualified voters can go to https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fpca.pdf.

Most state election websites offer detailed instructions on registering as a UOCAVA voter. The state or municipal voter registration process may offer another option for voters who prefer to register directly with their state rather than using the FPCA.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has numerous resources for military and overseas voters seeking to register to vote in either the primaries or the general election. The following resources directly apply to this topic:

How to check your voter registration as an overseas voter

For overseas voters who cast a ballot in the primaries and are unsure if they are registered for the general election, the following steps can be used to check their voter registration in their home state:

  1. Do not rely on third-party groups to confirm voter registration status.
  2. Identify the state or local election office website, phone number or email.
  3. Contact an election official, ideally in the municipality where they are registered to vote. Some states offer a state voter registration lookup tool. In others, the overseas citizen will need to call or send an email to confirm their registration.
  4. Any overseas citizens who are not registered can register to vote in the primary using the FPCA or state/municipal voter registration process. The deadline to register for UOCAVA voters is 30 days before the general election for federal offices but varies for state and municipal elections.

Conclusion

UOCAVA voters face extra hurdles when voting abroad. These include delays in international mail, difficulty accessing printers to print ballots or other election materials and challenges delivering their ballots back to their election office. Many states allow voters to fax their ballots back to the US, though access to fax machines continues to dwindle worldwide.

Election officials do everything they can to ensure UOCAVA voters have equal access to the ballot. Still, if a voter does not register to vote and indicate their international address, election officials cannot send them a ballot. To complicate matters, some overseas voters may vote in primary elections explicitly for overseas voters. Overseas voters who voted in the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary must register to vote for the general election in their state. Registration with Democrats Abroad does not imply registration with a state for the general election. To ensure overseas voters who want to vote in the general election can do so, all overseas voters should double-check their voter registration as soon as possible.

Posted on

Voter Registration for Americans Abroad: Strategies to Address Common Challenges

By Rachel Wright, Policy Analyst

In 2022, nearly 4.4 million American citizens lived overseas. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) guarantees their right to vote absentee in federal elections, and like voters living stateside, many overseas citizens want to exercise this right. However, whether they are expatriates, students or peace corps volunteers, their path to the ballot box is often fraught with challenges.

For many voters, this path begins with the voter registration process. UOCAVA sets out to provide overseas citizens with a uniform and accessible means of registration by allowing them to use the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) and the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The conditions surrounding registration deadlines, allowed return methods and validity periods, among other things, vary significantly among states.

Election officials often help overseas voters by reducing the challenges they face. The Overseas Voting Initiative (OVI) works closely with state and local election officials to better understand these challenges and share best practices related to overseas voting. Provided below are several common voter registration challenges faced by overseas citizens, along with strategies that working group members have developed to mitigate them.

International Mail System Reliability

Mail system reliability varies across countries and can pose a significant challenge for voters who return their FPCA via mail. The FPCA is a standard form developed by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) that allows a UOCAVA voter to simultaneously register to vote and request an absentee ballot. It can be easily downloaded from FVAP’s website or accessed via your state or local election official’s website.

As of August 2024, three states — Alabama, Arkansas and Connecticut — only allow for an FPCA to be returned via mail. Voters in states that allow for electronic return may also default to mailing their FPCA if they are not sure of their state’s requirements. For these voters, utilizing an unreliable mail system may negatively impact the likelihood that their registration materials and ballot request will be received on time and by the proper election authority.

The impact of mail system reliability on the return of voter registration materials such as the FPCA is yet to be quantified. We do, however, know the impact it has on ballot success. A 2016 FVAP study found that overseas citizens in countries with the most reliable postal systems were 65% more likely to have a vote recorded compared to those in countries with the lowest observed levels of postal reliability. This figure, although stark, does not account for the number of voters who may not have received a ballot due to unsuccessful attempts to return their FPCA via mail.

Strategy 1: In states that allow for electronic return, election officials can encourage overseas citizens to return their FPCA electronically and communicate this information to voters via dedicated UOCAVA webpages and social media. Should a voter return their FPCA via email, election officials can use this touchpoint to establish open and consistent lines of communication to update voters on the status of their FPCA, upcoming deadlines and allowed return ballot methods. FVAP has developed an outreach toolkit for the 2024 election that contains email templates for these touchpoints. This toolkit can be accessed here.  

Strategy 2: In states that do not allow FPCAs to be returned electronically, election officials can clearly communicate voter registration deadlines (including postmark deadlines, if applicable) via UOCAVA webpages and social media. They can also encourage voters to return their FPCA as soon as they leave the U.S., regardless of where they are residing overseas. Many overseas citizens live in countries with high postal system reliability; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that mail disruptions can occur anywhere and at any point in time. Returning an FPCA as soon as possible can help mitigate potential negative impacts caused by unforeseen international mail delays.

The FWAB as an Alternative Means of Voter Registration

The FWAB is intended to serve as a backup ballot and alternative means to register to vote if a military or overseas citizen does not receive their absentee ballot in time to meet their state’s deadlines. In select states, overseas citizens are not allowed to use the FWAB if they haven’t already registered to vote. This variation can lead to confusion, especially if these requirements change from year to year.

For example, as of August 2024, 33 states allow UOCAVA voters to use the FWAB to register to vote. Those in the remaining 17 states must be registered to vote and have already requested a state absentee ballot to use the FWAB. This includes overseas citizens from Hawaii and New York who were not subject to this requirement prior to 2024.

Moreover, confusion grows when states have differing requirements based on the type of UOCAVA voter. For example, Wisconsin only allows uniformed service members and their family to use the FWAB to register to vote. Overseas citizens must already be registered to vote to use the FWAB and can only use the FWAB to vote in elections for federal offices. More information about these rules is available in the “2024-25 Voting Assistance Guide.”

Map of U.S. states that allow UOCAVA voters to use the FWAB to register to vote.

Strategy 1: States can prevent confusion among overseas citizens surrounding whether they can use the FWAB to register to vote by instituting uniform requirements for all UOCAVA voters. This would entail allowing military service members, their family and overseas citizens to use the FWAB to vote in all elections for federal state and local offices, including ballot measures, regardless of whether the voter has registered to vote and requested a state ballot prior to using the FWAB. In doing so, states would simplify the voting process for overseas citizens and ensure all UOCAVA voters can utilize the same backup options.

Unintended Impacts of Automatic Voter Registration Systems

In states that utilize an automatic voter registration (AVR) system, UOCAVA voters may knowingly or unknowingly update their voter registration without realizing the unintended impacts it might have on their UOCAVA status. Although many systems allow voters to “opt-out” of automatic registration, many overseas citizens may not understand how automatic registration could impact their UOCAVA status and refrain from opting out.

For example, an overseas citizen may access a government service that uses the information gained throughout this transaction to update their voter registration. If the government agency does not collect information related to the voter’s UOCAVA status, their registration may be updated to indicate that they are a regular absentee voter. As a result, the overseas citizen may unknowingly be stripped of their UOCAVA status.

States and local jurisdictions have encountered similar issues with overseas citizens who renew their driver’s license or state ID online. In these instances, a voter has their new driver’s license or ID mailed to the address of a family member living stateside who then mails the ID to the UOCAVA voter. The DMV then uses the original mailing address provided to update the voter’s registration. In doing so, the voter may be stripped of their UOCAVA status, or, in some cases, registered as a voter in an entirely different jurisdiction.  

Third-Party Organization Involvement in the Voter Registration Process


Third-party organizations may communicate with overseas citizens regarding voter registration, upcoming elections and approaching deadlines. These efforts are made in good faith, but may result in overseas citizens receiving confusing, conflicting or incorrect information.

For example, state and local election officials have seen an increasing number of overseas citizens who have registered to vote in presidential primaries explicitly for overseas citizens through third-party organizations (e.g., the Democrats Abroad presidential primary). Voters believe that voting in this primary constitutes registration for an upcoming presidential election. This, however, is not true.

This trend underscores the need for election officials to conduct effective outreach to overseas citizens and establish open lines of communication so that they receive the most up to date and accurate election information.

Strategy 1: To prevent these scenarios, state election officials can build check points into their AVR system that notifies a UOCAVA voter’s local election official if the system is attempting to update their registration. The voter’s local election official will then investigate (i.e., communicate with the voter) to ensure their registration is updated with the correct information. States such as Oregon have already implemented these control procedures into their AVR system.

Strategy 2: States can also prevent overseas citizens from being unintentionally stripped of their UOCAVA status by allowing an FPCA to remain valid and in effect through the end of the election year regardless of whether the voter is registered via their state’s AVR system in the interim. UOCAVA requires all states to abide by certain provisions related to the FPCA. However, states do have the authority to determine its period of validity. States such as West Virginia have already implemented this measure.

U.S. citizens living abroad face significant barriers when attempting to vote that may prevent them from participating in U.S. elections. For many voters, these barriers arise as early as the voter registration process and persist even after they have returned their ballot. Proactive engagement by election officials, clear and consistent communication with overseas voters, and simplifying the voting process are key to helping every voter exercise their right to vote.

Posted on

Remote Observation and Ballot Duplication in Florida’s Brevard County 

Florida’s Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Highlights Remote Observation Procedures and an Improved Ballot Duplication Process During Overseas Voting Initiative Visit  

Last year, members of the Overseas Voting Initiative (OVI) Working Group met in Central Florida to discuss the ongoing and emerging issues faced by Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters when attempting to cast their ballot. As part of this convening, Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic provided working group members with a tour of his county’s warehouse in Melbourne, where his office conducts various administrative procedures, such as ballot duplication. In addition to his role with Brevard County, Bobanic is a member of the OVI working group.  

OVI provides extensive programming to working group members focused on understanding and improving the voting process for military and overseas citizens. Touring election offices such as the Melbourne warehouse provides members with a behind the scenes look into how jurisdictions with large UOCAVA populations help these individuals overcome voting barriers and successfully cast their ballot.  

While touring the Brevard County election facility, working group members witnessed several administrative best practices in action, including the use of live streams that allow the public to remotely observe various election processes. Members also learned about Brevard County’s use of technology solutions to streamline ballot duplication procedures and facilitate the processing of absentee and UOCAVA ballots. 

On March 8, 2023, Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic (second from right) guided OVI Working Group members, CSG team members and Federal Voting Assistance Program staff around the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Melbourne warehouse. Working group members Anthony Albence of Delaware (left), Natalie Adona of Nevada County, California (second from left), and Aaron Nevarez of Los Angeles County, California (right), looked on and listened. This photo was taken by Katy Owens Hubler. 

Bobanic’s role as supervisor of elections serves the voters of Titusville, Melbourne, Palm Bay and Viera, which boast a total population of just over 600,000 residents, including approximately 430,000 who are registered to vote. The Melbourne facility is one of several satellite offices throughout the county that work in tandem to ensure Brevard County elections run smoothly. 

OVI working group members were joined at the modern Melbourne facility by representatives with the Federal Voting Assistance Program, including Director Scott Wiedmann. It’s there Bobanic led the group around, highlighting the location’s large warehouse and numerous office areas. As Florida’s 10th largest jurisdiction, much space is needed to conduct the county’s manual and electronically-aided election processes. 

The first area shown to working group members was the public viewing area, which sits just inside the facility’s entryway. This location was chosen to provide the public, media, candidates and other interested stakeholders with easy access to the viewing area. Once inside, working group members observed two dozen monitors which broadcast various election processes in real-time for members of the public to view.  

The public viewing area of the Melbourne warehouse in Brevard County, Florida, allows individuals to view the ballot duplication process and other post-election procedures on large screens. The number on each screen corresponds to a ballot duplication workstation in the facility that is equipped with a live stream camera. This photo was taken by Katy Owens Hubler on March 8, 2023. 

According to Brevard County officials, the public viewing area serves to educate voters on local election processes and increase the transparency of elections, all while minimizing disruptions to the processes being viewed. While in the viewing area, spectators can ask questions and flag any concerns, but they are not physically among election workers as they move about the facility.   

At the time of the OVI’s visit, ballot duplication processes throughout Brevard County were being broadcast for the public to view. Ballot duplication is the process by which a damaged or improperly marked ballot is replaced with a new, machine-readable ballot that preserves the voter’s intent. Monitors in the viewing area allowed members to observe live camera feeds of each ballot duplication work area in the county. In doing so, working group members and the public can see every ballot duplication process taking place throughout the county simultaneously. 

While in the viewing area, Bobanic shared that a few months earlier, his office purchased Enhanced Remake, a ballot duplication solution offered by Enhanced Voting. Enhanced Remake is a technology solution that “easily remakes any unreadable ballots with less effort and less mistakes …” It is available as an online service or an offline software.  

Brevard County purchased both the Enhanced Remake hardware and software, which functions as a self-contained, offline station. Bobanic hoped to have the software up and running for the 2022 election cycle — a goal which he and his staff accomplished. Members of the OVI working group were able to view a demonstration of Brevard County’s Enhanced Remake station while touring the Melbourne facility. A similar demonstration, offered by Enhanced Voting, can be accessed here.  

Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic (centered, wearing a blue shirt) stood in the ballot duplication room at his Melbourne office on March 8, 2023 explaining the county’s new ballot duplication process using new equipment from Florida-based Enhanced Voting and public display monitors. This photo was taken by Katy Owens Hubler.

Enhanced Remake is one of many technology solutions on the market that automate aspects of the ballot duplication process using a combination of software and hardware (i.e., ballot duplication devices). Regardless of the technology solution, any jurisdiction can live stream the ballot duplication process by equipping duplication workstations with cameras that broadcast a live feed to a public viewing area. Election officials can then narrate the processes being broadcast and answer questions from the public, media or other interested stakeholders. 

For more information on ballot duplication, please read the OVI article series on this topic. OVI has also published an article on the remote observation of ballot duplication and other post-election processes, which is accessible here. 

We thank Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic and his staff for welcoming OVI to the Melbourne facility and we look forward to visiting more election offices in the coming years.  

Posted on

Assigning an Address for Voting Purposes: How Election Officials Help Military and Overseas Citizens Vote

By Rachel Wright, Policy Analyst

Voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) face many challenges when attempting to cast their ballot. Both members of the military and overseas citizens often have limited access to technologies, such as printers and fax machines, that help them vote. Moreover, these voters often work or are stationed in remote areas where mail operations are intermittent or, in some cases, non-existent. 

Voter Registration and Determining Voting Residency 

For military and overseas citizens, voting barriers can often arise prior to ballot marking and return. Some UOCAVA voters may struggle to successfully complete their voter registration due to issues and uncertainties surrounding their residential address. Regardless of the state, voter registration laws require all voters to provide a residential address on registration materials. This address is considered the individual’s voting residence and determines which offices and candidates they are eligible to vote for. As a result, a voter’s residential address is often required to be located within the state where they are becoming a registered voter.  

Unlike traditional absentee voters, it can be difficult for military and overseas citizens to determine their voting residence. For example, many overseas citizens living abroad no longer occupy a residence in the United States. In these instances, overseas voters may still consider their last residential address in the U.S. as their voting residence even if they no longer have property or other ties to that state or if their intent to return to that state is uncertain. However, these voters may not remember the details of this address, or they may be unaware of their state’s laws on this issue. 

Similarly, military voters frequently change duty assignments which can result in their relocation to a new installation. In these instances, a voter may wish to establish residency or a domicile in their new duty location or remain a registered voter of their last residential address. As with overseas citizens, frequent reassignments can cause confusion regarding what is considered their residential address for voting purposes. They also may not remember the details of this address. 

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has issued guidance on how UOCAVA voters should determine their voting residence. This guidance differs based on the type of UOCAVA voter. Guidance for military service members and their family members can be accessed at https://www.fvap.gov/info/laws/voting-residence. Guidance for overseas citizens can be accessed at https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/voting-residence.  

Assigning an Address for Voting Purposes 

A small subset of UOCAVA voters may be able to identify and provide the details of their residential address but discover that this address is no longer considered valid for voter registration purposes. This can occur if a voter’s address is no longer considered a residence. For example, single-family homes or apartment buildings may be demolished for commercial development or following a natural disaster. Once the home or apartment building is torn down, the associated address is no longer considered a recognized residential address. This may occur more frequently among UOCAVA voters who have not lived at their voting residence for a significant period. 

If this situation arises, states do not prohibit military and overseas citizens from becoming a registered voter in the precinct of their address. Many states do not explicitly address these situations in statute and likely handle them on a case-by-case basis. However, 10 states — Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia — specify that the appropriate authority, often a local election official, can assign the voter an address solely for voting purposes as long as the voter meets the state’s residency requirements. This address must be within the same precinct as the voter’s residential address. 

For example, South Carolina S.C. Code Ann. §  7-15-660 states “an overseas voter who is registering to vote, and who is eligible to vote in this State shall use, and must be assigned to, the voting precinct of the address of the voter’s last place of residence in this State… If that address is no longer a recognized residential address, the overseas voter must be assigned an address within the voting precinct of the last place of residence for voting purposes.” 

Florida’s statute on the assignment of an address is wider in scope than other states. More specifically, a UOCAVA voter may be assigned an address even if their voting residence is still a recognized residential address. Florida law states that a voter who no longer has a permanent address in the county but intends to remain a resident of Florida and the county in which they are registered to vote may be assigned an address within the precinct of the office of the supervisor of elections. These procedures often apply to military voters who wish to register as a voter in the precinct of an address where they once lived, but no longer have any physical ties. In these instances, the local supervisor of elections will assign the voter an address for voting purposes. 

Implications for Voter Rolls and Election Mail 

The ability of military and overseas citizens to register to vote using their last residential address, or an address that was assigned to them can have significant implications for voter rolls and election mail. If an individual registers to vote using their last residential address, it is possible that those who currently live there are also using the same address to register to vote. As a result, voter rolls will show that multiple individuals are registered to the same address.  

Similarly, if a UOCAVA voter’s last residential address is no longer recognized as a residence, they may be assigned the address of the office of their local election official. There is currently no limit on the number of voters that may be assigned the same address, if they meet the qualifications specified in state statute. As a result, voter rolls will show that multiple people have registered to vote using the residential address of their local election office.  

Because of this, those who currently work or reside at the residential address associated with a UOCAVA voter’s registration may receive election mail that is directed toward the voter. This often happens when a voter’s residential address, rather than their mailing address, is used for mailing purposes. These situations do not imply that anything nefarious is happening or that a jurisdiction’s voter registration rolls are out-of-date. It simply means that a military or overseas citizen is registered to vote using that address.   

Ultimately, the experiences of UOCAVA voters are unique and the barriers they face are not confined to the request and return of their ballot. For some, challenges may arise as early as the voter registration process. The process of assigning a UOCAVA voter an address is solely intended to ensure that these voters can successfully register to vote and cast their ballot in an election. Without such efforts, these voters risk being disenfranchised. 

Proudly powered by WordPress