MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE

Transcription

1 MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE The fllwing dcument is prvided by the LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library Reprduced frm scanned riginals with text recgnitin applied (searchable text may cntain sme errrs and/r missins)

2 STATE OF MAINE OFFICE MATTHEW DUNLAP SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE January 15,2014 Hnrable Jhn L. Tuttle, Jr. Chair, Jint Standing Cmmittee n Veterans and Legal Affairs I 00 State Huse Statin Augusta, Maine Hnrable Luis J. Luchini Chair, Jint Standing Cmmittee n Veterans and Legal Affairs I 00 State Huse Statin Augusta, Maine Dear Senatr Tuttle, Representative Luchini and Members f the Cmmittee: Maine electin law, Title 21-A sectin 195, requires the Secretary f State t reprt annually "n the administratin f the central vter registratin system" (i.e. CVR). The law permits that the reprt may "address issues f public access t the infrmatin frm the central vter registratin system, taking int cnsideratin the cmpelling state interests t prevent vter fraud and the ptential disenfranchisement f vters and t ensure vters are nt discuraged frm participating in the vting prcess". The fllwing is the required 2013 reprt. Appendix A f this reprt prvides the backgrund and histry f implementatin f the CVR, as well as current vter registratin figures and a summary f CVR management and maintenance activities and statistics fr This data prvides valuable insight int a majr tl f electin administratin -- indeed, the backbne -- f Maine's vter registratin, absentee vting and electin results tracking and reprting system. I wuld like t highlight the fact that in the 6 Yz years since full implementatin f the system, Maine has gne frm a cmpletely decentralized vter registratin prcess, invlving the maintenance f disparate vter registratin lists in abut 500 municipalities, with n unifrmity f data r autmatin tls, and little access t accurate vter registratin data r statistics statewide; t a rbust, functinal and unifrm vter registratin sftware and database that allws fr lcal cntrl f data input, while prviding central versight and management f data accuracy. Mrever, it is wrthwhile t talce nte that the applicatin and database have had an extremely lw incidence f system dwntime. 148 STATE HOUSE STATION AUGUSTA, MAINE e , TELEPHONE: (207) FAX: (207)

3 Like any gd tl, the CVR is never static. The database is being accessed and updated n a daily basis by state and lcal electin administratrs in respnse t infrmatin received frm vters and reliable data maintenance surces such as death recrds and ntices f cancellatin frm electin administratrs in ther jurisdictins. Likewise, the sftware applicatin and system functinality underges an annual review t identify and implement enhancements needed t cmply with new laws and prcedures, and t create prcess efficiencies. Hwever, as with any tl, the CVR must be maintained and used by humans. Accrdingly, the effectiveness fthe CVR is dependent upn the diligence f users t accurately enter, maintain and reprt n the vter registratin data it cntains, as well as the vters themselves t prvide cmplete and accurate infrmatin n the vter registratin applicatin r change frms. Accrdingly, deficiencies in the vter registratin data are attributable t human clerical missins and errrs. T help imprve and maintain data integrity, the Electins Divisin persnnel cntinually and peridically mnitr CVR data; plan and execute annual system-wide, nn-discriminatry data maintenance activities as required by the Natinal Vter Registratin Act (NVRA); and prvide guidance and training t a cnstantly changing set f lcal electin fficials in 500 municipalities. The Department is nearing cmpletin f the effrt t assist municipalities with updating their vter files t ret1ect the new State Senate, State Representative and Cunty Cmmissiner Districts. As f January 15, 2014,477 f the 500 municipalities (r 95%) have had their districts cnverted. I lk frward t wrking with yu as yu cnsider this reprt, and as ur Department cntinues t maintain the CVR, administer ther federal laws and initiatives and fulfill its nging bligatins. As always, yu may cntact me at if I can prvide yu with any additinal materials, answer any questins, r assist yu in any way. Sincerely, Matthew Dunlap Secretary f State

4 2014 Reprt n the Administratin f the Central Vter Registratin (CVR) System Appendix A Descriptin f the Central Vter Registratin (CVR) System The CVR is a statewide system fr maintaining vter registratin and electin infrmatin by State and lcal electin fficials, which was implemented in cmpliance with the Help America Vte Act f 2002 and state law. The CVR cnsists f a highly-mdified, cmmercial ff-theshelf sftware applicatin (called ElectiNet), develped and supprted by a vendr, PCC Technlgy Grup, LLC; and an Oracle database that is maintained by the Department f the Secretary f State in the secure data center. The applicatin is accessed by municipal clerks and registrars, as well as State electins staff, ver the Internet. Updates and changes are made in real time and are immediately visible t authrized staff, as well as available fr reprts pursuant 't the law. Hwever, CVR is nt available t municipal electin fficials n Electin Day - except fr inquiries, updating absentee infrmatin, and printing reprts. New vter recrds r =changes t existing vter recrds must nt be dne n Electin Day. They must be dne within I 0 business days fllwing the electin. This decisin was made t ensure that a data entry errr wuld nt incrrectly remve a vter's recrd frm the municipality f registratin n Electin Day. Clerks and registrars in ver 500 municipalities are primarily respnsible fr individual vter recrd maintenance, including: adding new vter recrds, updating recrds with address changes, party changes, r ther changes; and entering vter participatin histry (i.e. the vters wh vted at an electin). The CVR is the cmputer system that enables these municipal clerks and registrars t maintain vter registratin recrds and t administer key electin management activities, such as issuing and tracking absentee ballts and printing the incming vting lists fr Electin Day. State electin fficials cnduct system-wide data maintenance effrts and batch updates as allwed by law. Cnsequently, the success and accuracy f the CVR relies nt nly n the Department's perfrmance f its system maintenance duties, but als n the accurate and timely use f the system by municipal clerks and registrars. Histry f CVR Implementatin By the spring f2007, the Department f the Secretary f State had fully implemented the CVR, meeting the requirements f the state and federal law. The Department successfully deplyed all required CVR infrastructure, including municipal equipment and netwrk cnnectivity; the CVR applicatin, E/ectiNet, became fully peratinal; vter registratin data frm all municipal jurisdictins was laded int the statewide database; and electin fficials frm all municipalities received initial training n hw t use the new system. Benefits f the CVR The Department and municipal electin fficials are able t realize the benefits f an integrated sftware applicatin and database fr maintaining vter registratin data. Municipal electin fficials have a functinal vter registratin system that requires n lcal licensing r maintenance fees, and that facilitates vter registratin and electin activities. The CVR allws 1

5 2014 Reprt n the Administratin f the Central Vter Registratin (CVR) System Appendix A clerks and registrars t share infrmatin thrugh the use f electrnic ntices, s that when a vter registers in a new municipality, the vter's ld recrd may be updated by the electin fficial in the new municipality, and autmatically remved frm the municipality f prir registratin, saving the electin fficials bth time and mailing csts. The CVR als allws the Department t mre efficiently cmplete activities that were nce left t municipalities t perfrm. These activities include biennial mandatry federal reprting f vter registratin statistics and Electin Day vting infrmatin; and the cnduct f vter list maintenance functins required by the Natinal Vter Registratin Act f 1993 (NVRA). The Department, in cperatin with municipalities, has been wrking t identify and remve recrds f deceased vters, vters wh have mved frm their municipality f registratin, and duplicate vter recrds. Vter Registratin Statistics and Activities As f January 2, 2014, Maine has 965,423 active status vters and 25,507 inactive status vters. Statewide, active status registered vters cmprise 92% f Maine's Vting Age Ppulatin (YAP), whicb tbe 2010 census designates as 1,053,828. 1n 2013, municipal electin fficials (clerks and registrars) acrss tbe State prcessed 20,594 new vter registratins and 258,223 registratin changes (sucb as party enrllment changes r new addresses). The CVR was als used t prcess 30,627 absentee ballt requests fr tbe Nvember 5, 2013 Referendum Electin, including 3, 745 ballt requests prcessed by tbe Electins Divisin fr the Unifrmed Service and Overseas Vters (UOCAVA). UOCAVA vters were able t request ballts using mail, fax, and tbe nline Absentee Ballt Request (ABR) service; and t return their ballts via mail, fax, r as a scanned image attached t an Data Maintenance Statistics In 2013, State r municipal electin fficials perfrmed individual and statewide, peridic vter list maintenance activities that resulted in recrds f vters being remved frm tbe database (i.e. cancelled) fr tbe fllwing reasns: I 0,672 -vters deceased 2,344 - duplicate recrds 10,830- vters inactive fr 2 federal general electins 20,469- vters mved frm the municipality f registratin 56 -registrar hearing determined vters ineligible 223 ~ vter requested remval frm list 44,594- Ttal recrds cancelled due t required vter list maintenance activities 2

6 2014 Reprt n the Administratin f the Central Vter Registratin (CVR) System Appendix A Summary f Data Maintenance Statistics frm June 2007 t the Present The fllwing is a summary f the data maintenance statistics frm June 2007 t the present, reflecting the ttal number f vter recrds cancelled frm the database t date: 66,688 -vters deceased 32,413 -duplicate recrds 86,140- vters inactive fr 2 federal general electins 140,318- vters mved frm the municipality f registratin 351 -registrar hearing determined vters ineligible vter requested remval frm list 328,375- Ttal recrds cancelled due t required vter list maintenance activities Onging Obligatins, Imprvements and Enhancements Help Desk In additin t its electin-specific CVR activity, the Department has nging respnsibilities t maintain the system and prvide supprt t its municipal partners. The Department maintains and staffs a tll-free Help Desk t prvide assistance t municipal clerks and registrars, as needed, and ffers annual refresher training. In 2013, there were ver 1,000 calls handled by the CVR Help Desk. Abut 3 5% f these calls related t cmputer, printer, scanning, internet and passwrd/maintain user functins, nt applicatin questins. Of the applicatin-related questins, the mst prevalent calls included: entering vter registratin recrds; respnding t data requests (questins frm clerks/registrars); prducing reprts; entering Vter Participatin Histry; and remving duplicate recrds. These calls last n average between 1 and 5 minutes. Site Cmputing Equipment Prir t implementatin f the CVR, the Department cnducted an extensive review/needs assessment f lcal cmputing equipment and capabilities, and fund that nearly half f the jurisdictins had either n equipment r equipment with insufficient memry r prcessing speed t use the CVR applicatin. Additinally, in rder t ensure that all municipalities had the same equipment, and t facilitate the State's supprt flcal CVR users, the State used HA VA grant mnies t purchase a desktp cmputer, printer and peripherals t allw every municipality t perfrm CVR functins in a cnsistent manner. This equipment prvided by the State is nw ver 7 years ld, and as it ceases wrking, municipalities must use anther municipal cmputer t access CVR fr all required vter registratin activities. 3

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