Policy: Voter Registration National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) No: CR: 11. Effective: 10/11 Revised: 8/30/12

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1 Plicy T ensure cmpliance with the Natinal Vter Registratin Act f 1993 (NVRA), vter registratin services shall be ffered at all Lcal WIC Agencies/Clinics t all WIC prgram applicants/participants at the time f new certificatin, recertificatin, changes f address, and incming transfers. Purpse The Federal law is intended t encurage individuals t register t vte and requires States t prvide vter registratin services at all public assistance agencies. If a Lcal WIC Agency/Clinic fails t implement the NVRA as set frth in this plicy, the Department f Justice may initiate legal actin t ensure cmpliance. General NVRA Infrmatin Each Clinic must als display in an bservable place psters infrming the public that vter registratin services are available at that lcatin. The sign must say Register t Vte Here in bth English and Spanish. Additinally, the sign must include the instructins, in at least 12-pint type, n hw t register t vte that state: If yu are nt registered t vte where yu live nw, wuld yu like t apply t register t vte here tday? Applying t register r declining t register t vte will nt affect the amunt f assistance that yu will be prvided by this agency. If yu wuld like help in filling ut the Vter Registratin Applicatin frm, we will help yu. The decisin whether t seek r accept help is yurs. Yu may fill ut the applicatin frm in private. If yu believe that smene has interfered with yur right t register r t decline t register t vte, yur right t privacy in deciding whether t register r in applying t register t vte, r yur right t chse yur wn plitical party r ther plitical preference, yu may file a cmplaint with yur cunty electin ffice r the Secretary f State s ffice by mailing a written cmplaint t SOS, Nevada State Capitl Building, 101 N. Carsn St., Suite 3, Carsn City, NV 89701, r t ssmail@ss.nv.gv. The Vter Registratin Plicy applies t all WIC prgram applicants/participants regardless f a WIC Prgram eligibility determinatin and whether an applicant/participant chses t register t vte r nt, the chice will nt affect WIC Prgram services. Vter registratin requirements are as fllws: Be a citizen f the United States f America; Be a resident f the State f Nevada fr 30 days and in the precinct fr 10 days prir t the next electin; Applicant is r will be 18 years f age n r befre the next electin; and Has had civil rights restred if cnvicted f a felny. Nevada WIC Prgram-Civil Rights Page 1 f 6

2 Shuld the applicant/participant chse t register, the State f Nevada Vter Registratin Applicatin shall be prvided alng with any assistance needed t cmplete the frm. The same degree f assistance shall be prvided as is prvided with all ther WIC frms, unless the applicant/participant refuses such assistance. Lcal agencies which nrmally prvide accmmdatins fr applicants/participants with minrity language shall d the same fr vter registratin. The bttm f the Rights and Respnsibilities (R&R) frm n page ne includes a prtin fr Vter Registratin, which must be cmpleted by all applicants/participants by checking Yes r N t register t vte and it must als be signed and dated by the applicant/participant at each new certificatin, recertificatin, change f address, and incming transfer. The R&R serves as dcumentatin f all applicants and participants chsing and/r declining t register t vte. New Certificatin: Ask each participant if they want t register t vte. Offer the R&R and have them check Yes r N t register t vte, and have them sign and date n the Vter Registratin prtin. File the R&R in the participant s chart. If they chse t register t vte, als ffer a Vter Registratin Applicatin and prvide any assistance requested. Either cllect the cmpleted Vter Registratin Applicatin and submit t the Cunty Clerk/Registrar f Vters Office in the Cunty the participant resides, r the participant can take the Applicatin with them and submit n their wn. Mark the Mini-Tracking Frm t reflect what was dne. Re-Certificatin: Ask each participant if they want t register t vte r if they have a change f address. Offer the R&R and have them check Yes r N t register t vte, and have them sign and date n the Vter Registratin prtin. File the R&R in the participant s chart. If they chse t register t vte, als ffer a Vter Registratin Applicatin and prvide any assistance requested. Either cllect the cmpleted Vter Registratin Applicatin and submit t the Cunty Clerk/Registrar f Vters Office in the Cunty the participant resides, r the participant can take the Applicatin with them and submit n their wn. If clinic staff knws the participant is already registered t vte r the participant des nt want t register t vte, the Vter Registratin prtin f the R&R must still be cmpleted (participant shall check N and sign and date). File the R&R in the participant s chart. Mark the Mini-Tracking Frm t reflect what was dne. Changes f Address: Ask each participant wh changes their address if they wuld like t update their Vter Registratin address as well. Offer the R&R and have the participant sign and date t shw they understand their rights regarding discriminatin under the vter Nevada WIC Prgram-Civil Rights Page 2 f 6

3 registratin prtin. They d nt need t check Yes r N. Clinic staff shall write Change f Address t the right f the Vter Registratin prtin. File in the participant s chart. Als ffer the Vter Registratin Applicatin fr the participant t cmplete and ffer any assistance requested. Be sure they check Address Change and any ther bxes that apply in Bx 2 f the Applicatin. Either cllect the cmpleted Vter Registratin Applicatin and submit t the Cunty Clerk/Registrar f Vters Office in the Cunty the participant resides, r the participant can take the Applicatin with them and submit n their wn. Mark the Mini-Tracking Frm t reflect what was dne. New Applicant (nt eligible fr WIC) r Walk-in Wh is Nt a Participant: Offer the R&R, Vter Registratin prtin nly, and have the applicant mark Yes r N t register t vte, and have them sign and date. File the R&R in the clinic s Vter Registratin File. If they chse t register t vte, als ffer a Vter Registratin Applicatin and prvide any assistance requested. Either cllect the cmpleted Vter Registratin Applicatin and submit t the Cunty Clerk/Registrar f Vters Office in the Cunty the applicant resides, r the applicant can take the Applicatin with them and submit n their wn. Mark the Mini-Tracking Frm t reflect what was dne. If an applicant/participant des nt cmplete r refuses t cmplete the Applicatin r the Vter Registratin prtin f the R&R, clinic staff shall print the individual s name n the R&R and staff shall place their initials beside the name. This will be cnsidered a declinatin t register t vte and shuld be kept n file as the R&R als serves as the vter registratin declinatin frm. In the case f a prxy/authrized representative accessing benefits n behalf f a participant, the prxy/authrized representative must als be prvided with vter registratin services. The ptin t update current vter registratin shall als be prvided if the applicant/participant chses t d s (i.e. change address/cunty Registrar and/r plitical party affiliatin). Under special circumstances where Clinic staff wrk with participants by phne and are mailing dcuments (i.e. participant n bed rest), vter registratin services shall als be ffered by mailing the Vter Registratin Applicatin t them if the participant chses. The Mini-Tracking Frm shall als be used. The NVRA specifies that any persn wh prvides vter registratin services is prhibited frm: 1) seeking t influence an applicant s plitical preference r party registratin; 2) displaying any such plitical preference r party allegiance; 3) making any statement t an applicant r taking any actin t discurage an applicant frm registering t vte, r 4) making any statement t an applicant r taking any actin that leaves the applicant with the impressin that a decisin t Nevada WIC Prgram-Civil Rights Page 3 f 6

4 register r nt t register t vte has any bearing n the availability f prgram services r benefits. Furthermre, the NVRA sets frth criminal penalties fr nncmpliance with these mandates. NVRA Clinic Crdinatr Respnsibilities Each Clinic shall have an NVRA Crdinatr wh will be in charge f vter registratin activities fr the Clinic. The Agency Directr, Clinic Crdinatr, r designee will serve in this capacity. Each Clinic will ensure they infrm their State WIC Office POC wh their NVRA Crdinatr is. All Clinic staff wh see applicants/participants fr new certificatins, recertificatins, changes f address and incming transfers are required t cmplete semi-annual (every six mnths) NVRA nline training. This training ffers a summary f the NVRA and ur respnsibilities as a public assistance agency in regards t the NVRA prcedures fr registering vters thrugh the agency (NAC ). The NVRA Clinic Crdinatr s duties include: 1. Ensure semi-annual nline trainings are cmpleted n vter registratin services fr all Clinic staff as a refresher training, and all new hires within ne week f their start date. The required training is accessed thrugh the State f Nevada s learning site fund at T setup a prfile in the learning site, g t the State f Nevada NEATS hmepage fund at Once the prfile is setup, the user name can be fund at the tp right hand f the screen in NEATS. The NEATS user name and passwrd is the same fr the learning site (passwrd chsen by the user at time f prfile setup). Fr technical assistance with the learning site cntact the DIT Helpdesk at (775) Each staff shall print their Certificate f Cmpletin at the end f the nline training and frward t their Agency POC every six mnths. Fr Lcal Agencies in Clark Cunty that are cntacted by the Clark Cunty Electins Office, cmpletin f their semi-annual training will serve as an NVRA apprved training. 2. Ensure an adequate supply f Vter Registratin Applicatins are regularly stcked in each Clinic and all staff have access t Applicatins. T rder mre Vter Registratin Applicatins and/r related frms, fllw the same plicy as all ther Clinic supply rders and rder frm the Clinic Supply Order Frm (see Recrds and Reprts, RR:5), r use f a printed cpy f the PDF Vter Registratin Applicatin. Nevada WIC Prgram-Civil Rights Page 4 f 6

5 3. Ensure use f Vter Registratin Mini-Tracking Frms by all staff wh see applicants, certify and recertify participants, changes f address and incming transfers fr participants in persn r by phne/mail. The fur-part Mini-Tracking Frms are t be used fr every applicant and participant being certified, recertified, r change f address regardless if they chse t register t vte r nt and whether they are in persn r nt. The Mini-Tracking Frm serves as a means t track hw many individuals chse t register t vte r nt and by which methd. (NVRA Appendix #1). 4. Gather and Review Vter Registratin Applicatins and Mini-Tracking Frms weekly that are received by Clinic staff t ensure they are legible and cmplete befre frwarding them t the respective Cunty Clerk/Registrar f Vters Office in the cunty the applicant resides (each Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office address is lcated n the back f the Vter Registratin Applicatin); Mini-Tracking Frms shall be frwarded t the State WIC Office. If an Applicatin is nt legible, a cmputer-generated cpy f the infrmatin cntained in the recrds relating t the participant s identificatin card shuld be attached (Client Recrd frm the WIC MIS). The Crdinatr must als ensure that each applicatin is datestamped r written n the day received by the ffice. 5. Submit cmpleted Vter Registratin Applicatins weekly t the respective Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office. The Crdinatr must enclse all cmpleted and vided Vter Registratin Applicatin Frms with the prescribed Vter Registratin Agency Transmittal Frm (NVRA Appendix #2). Clinics shall nly frward Transmittal Frms if cmpleted r vided Vter Registratin Applicatins have been received; n need t frward the Transmittal Frm if n Applicatins were received by applicants/participants. Vter Registratin Dcument Cmpletin, Submissin and Retentin After the applicant/participant cmpletes the Vter Registratin Applicatin and chses t submit t the Clinic, the lcal agency shall handwrite r stamp nly the date n the bttm f the Vter Registratin Applicatin under Validating Agency Use Only, Agency Stamp Here. D nt stamp r write the agency name. It is nt permissible t accept an applicatin that includes any erasure r line drawn thrugh infrmatin prvided by an applicant relating t his/her party affiliatin. If an applicant des this, have him r her cmplete a new frm. If a Vter Registratin Applicatin must be vided, specific prcedures must be fllwed. When viding an applicatin the agency must write r stamp VOID visibly n the frnt f the applicatin. D nt thrw away, shred r destry in any way Vter Registratin Applicatins. Frward the vided applicatin t the respective Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office and maintain a recrd f the vided applicatin n the Transmittal Frm (NVRA Appendix #2). Clinics shall keep a Vter Registratin file which cnsists f: Nevada WIC Prgram-Civil Rights Page 5 f 6

6 A cpy f weekly Transmittal Frms (d nt keep cpies f Vter Registratin Applicatins); and Cmpleted Vter Registratin prtin f R&Rs fr nn-participants (e.g. friend f a participant, prxy f a participants, walk-in, and applicant nt eligible). R&Rs fr participants shall be filed in the respective participant file. Shuld the situatin present where mre than ne member f a husehld is being certified (i.e. tw children and ne mther), nly ne vter registratin prtin f the R&R shall be cmpleted and signed by the participant. Cmpleted frms must be prperly returned t the respective Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office n later than 10 days after the applicatin is received (NRS ).Therefre, Lcal agencies shall frward all cmpleted and vided Vter Registratin Applicatins weekly t the respective Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office with the Transmittal Frm. The NVRA Crdinatr shall als frward all Mini-Tracking Frms at minimum every tw weeks by mail, r fax t: Ana Vargas avargas@health.nv.gv Fax (702) State f Nevada WIC Prgram 3811 W. Charlestn Blvd. Suite 106 Las Vegas, NV As electin day appraches, the Vter Registratin Clinic Crdinatr must submit Vter Registratin Applicatins daily t the Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office beginning tw weeks preceding the fifth Sunday befre an electin. This tw week timeframe allws fr new vters t register t vte befre the clse f registratin fr General Electin. The csts assciated with the mailing f the Vter Registratin Applicatins and Mini- Tracking Frms will be cnsidered allwable nutritin services and administratin (NSA) csts in mnthly reimbursements. The applicant/participant can als chse t take the Vter Registratin Applicatin with them t cmplete at a later time and mail t their respective Cunty Clerk/Registrar s Office (see back f the Vter Registratin Applicatin fr addresses). Each staff shall ensure they are using the Mini-Tracking Frms in this situatin as well. Fr mre infrmatin regarding registering t vte, please cntact the Secretary f State s Office at (775) r at where the ptin fr nline registratin fr Clark Cunty is available, in additin t a dwnladable Applicatin fr all ther Nevada cunties. Nevada WIC Prgram-Civil Rights Page 6 f 6