TEAM: Voter Registration: Maintaining Voter Records

TEAM:

Voter Registration: Maintaining Voter Records

September 2021

Office of the Secretary of State Elections Division P.O. Box 12060

Austin, Texas 78711 1.800.252.VOTE (8683)

512.463.7552 - fax sos.

This manual and its contents are intended for authorized county and state level TEAM users with a signed TEAM Security

Acknowledgement and Non-Disclosure Agreement on file. The information is privileged and confidential. Any dissemination, distribution or duplication of this information is strictly prohibited without the consent of the Elections Division of the Office of the Texas

Secretary of State.

Table of Contents

IN T ROD UC T IO N .........................................................................................................................................4 Qual ifi catio n s .....................................................................................................................................................4 El igi b il ity .............................................................................................................................................................4 Re si de ncy ..............................................................................................................................................................5 Re sou rce s ..............................................................................................................................................................5

M ATCH IN G OV E RV I E W .........................................................................................................................6 M atch Def in itio n s .............................................................................................................................................6

DA SHB OA R D A C TI V I T I ES: PO SS IB L E DE C EA S E D ................................................................7 Overvi ew ...............................................................................................................................................................7 M atching Cr ite ria .............................................................................................................................................7 Data So ur ce s .......................................................................................................................................................7 Wor ki ng t he Da sh boar d .................................................................................................................................8 Offli ne Co unty Pro ce ss .................................................................................................................................10

DA SHB OA R D A C TI V I T I ES: PO SS IB L E DUP L IC A T ES .......................................................... 11 Overvi ew .............................................................................................................................................................11 M atching Cr ite ria ...........................................................................................................................................11 Data So ur ce s .....................................................................................................................................................11 Ad dit io nal Co ns id erat i ons ..........................................................................................................................11 Wor ki ng t he Da sh boar d ...............................................................................................................................12 Offli ne Co unty Pro ce ss .................................................................................................................................13

DA SHB OA R D A C TI V I T I ES: PO SS IB L E F E L ONS ..................................................................... 14 Overvi ew .............................................................................................................................................................14 M atching Cr ite ria ...........................................................................................................................................14 Data So ur ce s .....................................................................................................................................................14 Wor ki ng t he Da sh boar d ...............................................................................................................................15 Offli ne Co unty Pro ce ss .................................................................................................................................17

DA SHB OA R D A C TI V I T I ES: PO SS IB L E NON CI T I ZE N S ....................................................... 18 Overvi ew .............................................................................................................................................................18 M atching Cr ite ria ...........................................................................................................................................18 Data So ur ce s .....................................................................................................................................................18 Wor ki ng t he Da sh boar d ...............................................................................................................................19 Offli ne Co unty Pro ce ss .................................................................................................................................21

INTRODUCTION

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) requires states to adopt and implement procedures to maintain accurate and current voter registration lists. Additionally, states are required to implement a voter registration list maintenance program that makes a reasonable effort to remove ineligible persons from the voter lists in accordance with the NVRA and state law.

Likewise, the Texas Election Code (TEC) enumerates the importance of maintaining accurate voter registration lists through defining the acquisition of data from other specified agencies, outlining the procedures and processes required of the Secretary of State (SOS) and county voter registrars, and identifying the criteria used to match this information with the statewide voter registration list. Specifically, Sections 18.068 and 18.0681 require the SOS to conduct comparative reviews of the statewide voter registration list with information received under TEC Chapter 16. Following the identification of matched records, the SOS is required to send this information to county voter registrars for further review. It is the responsibility of the county voter registrar to review these records on the grounds of eligibility and/or to eliminate duplicative records to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the county voter list.

Qualifications

TEC Section 13.001 outlines the eligibility requirements for voter registration in the State of Texas. To be eligible for registration as a voter in Texas, a person must:

1. be 18 years of age or older; 2. be a United States citizen; 3. not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be

totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote; 4. not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, must have fully discharged the

sentence or been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote; and 5. be a resident of the county in which application for registration is made.

Eligibility

The first responsibility of county voter registrars is to ensure that all voters on the official list of registered voters meet the above eligibility requirements.

TEC Section 16.033 (a) The registrar may use any lawful means to investigate whether a registered voter is currently

eligible for registration in the county. This section does not authorize an investigation of eligibility that is based solely on residence. (b) If the registrar has reason to believe that a voter is no longer eligible for registration, the registrar shall deliver written notice to the voter indicating that the voter's registration status is being investigated by the registrar. The notice shall be delivered by forwardable mail to the mailing address on the voter's registration application and to any new address of the voter known to the registrar.

If a Notice of Examination is sent as part of an investigation, the voter registrar must cancel the voter if the registrar determines, upon review of the voter's response, that the voter no longer meets the eligibility requirements or if the voter fails to provide a response within 30 days after the notice is sent. The voter registrar shall cancel the voter's record if the notice is returned as undeliverable with no forwarding

September 2021

Page 4 of 21

address. However, no voter registration may be cancelled if the voter's name appears on the suspense list unless the notice mailed to the voter was for a reason other than residency.

County voter registrars should retain all copies of correspondence, including the Notice of Examination, written response from the voter, and any registrar memoranda of reply, in the voter application file.

All cancellations entered into the Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) system should reflect the correct cancellation reason. Additionally, all cancellations for failure to respond to a Notice of Examination will now require an additional designation indicating the reason for which the notice was sent.

Residency County voter registrars are also tasked with ensuring voter eligibility based on current residency.

TEC Section 15.051 (a) If the registrar has reason to believe that a voter's current residence is different from that

indicated on the registration records, the registrar shall deliver to the voter a written confirmation notice requesting confirmation of the voter's current residence. (b) The registrar shall include an official confirmation notice response form with each confirmation notice delivered to a voter. (c) The confirmation notice shall be delivered by forwardable mail to the voter's last known address.

If a Notice of Address Confirmation is sent, the voter will be placed on the suspense list until a response is received. County voter registrars should retain all copies of correspondence, including the Notice of Address Confirmation, Address Confirmation Response, written response from the voter, and any registrar memoranda of reply, in the voter application file.

Additional requirements related to address confirmation following the issuance of the initial voter registration certificate or renewal certificate are specified in TEC Sections 13.146 and 14.023, respectively. Procedures related to challenges based on residency are outlined in TEC Section 16.0921.

Resources All questions related to the investigation or address confirmation of a specific voter should be directed to the county attorney. Additional questions may be directed to the SOS legal team.

The SOS voter registration team is available to provide technical assistance with all TEAM related procedural questions or issues. Instructional materials and reference guides are available as a resource for all county voter registrars.

September 2021

Page 5 of 21

MATCHING OVERVIEW Records identified during statewide comparative reviews are provided to county voter registrars through the Texas Elections Administration Management (TEAM) system to ensure the protection and security of all confidential personal information. These records are identified as actionable tasks on the TEAM county dashboard. There are currently four categories of dashboard activities available in the TEAM system as part of an ongoing county list maintenance program.

? Possible Deceased Records ? Notifications for voters who are potentially ineligible to remain registered due to being deceased are identified through a comparison of voter registration records and data provided by Local Registrars of Death, Clerks of the Court, the Bureau of Vital Statistics, the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), and the Social Security Administration in accordance with the Texas Election Code.

? Possible Duplicate Records ? Notifications for voters who potentially have duplicative voting records either within the same county, state, or with another state are identified through a comparison of voter registration records and data provided by ERIC.

? Possible Felon Records ? Notifications for voters who are potentially ineligible to remain registered due to a final felony conviction are identified through a comparison of voter registration records and data provided by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

? Possible Non U.S. Citizen Records ? Notifications for voters who are potentially ineligible to remain registered due to not being a citizen of the United States are identified through a comparison of voter registration records, data provided by DPS, and information reported under Section 62.113 of the Texas Government Code.

Match Definitions The comparison of voter registration records and information from a separate data source produces matched records based on the criteria used in the comparative process. The criteria, as defined in the TEC and/or the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), produces two classifications of matched records.

? Strong match records using exact matches to multiple data points result in immediate cancellation of the voter record.

? Weak match records using combinations of matches and data points result in those records being sent to the county voter registrar for further investigations.

Each of the four categories of tasks, or list maintenance activities, in the TEAM system have slightly different matching criteria resulting in different actionable outcomes.

September 2021

Page 6 of 21

DASHBOARD ACTIVITIES: POSSIBLE DECEASED

Overview Texas Election Code (TEC) Section 18.068 requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to compare the statewide voter registration records to information received under TEC Section 16.001 to identify any possible deceased voter records and to provide this information to county voter registrars for further review.

This TEAM dashboard activity provides notification for voters who are potentially ineligible to remain registered due to being deceased as identified through a comparison of voter registration records. Deceased dashboard notifications are provided weekly, monthly, and/or quarterly based on the timeframe identified for each data source.

Matching Criteria The matching criteria utilized by the TEAM system for possible deceased records is defined in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Rule, Section 81.6(a). The categorization of the possible deceased records is based on the matching of personal information as outlined below.

Strong Matched Records:

? Last Name, Full Social Security Number (SSN) (9 digits), and Date of Birth (DOB)

Weak Matched Records:

? First Name, Last Name, and DOB; ? Last Name and Full SSN (9 digits); ? Full SSN (9 digits) and DOB; or ? Last Four Digits of the SSN, DOB, and One or More Name Component(s).

a) Last Name (in deceased file) to Last Name; b) Last Name (in deceased file) to Middle Name; c) First Name to First Name (excluding a Last Name included match); or d) Middle Name or Middle Initial Match (excluding any additional name match).

Data Sources ? Local Registrars of Death (LRD) ? Clerks of the Court (COC) ? Bureau of Vital Statistics (BVS) ? Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) ? Social Security Administration (SSA)

September 2021

Page 7 of 21

Working the Dashboard To process the dashboard activities for possible deceased records, the voter registrar should:

? Select the Dashboard tab to review all current dashboard activities.

? Locate the Possible Deceased Records, select Review.

? Possible record matches will be listed by match criteria. ? Select Review to view all tasks identified for each match category.

? Select Export to Excel to download and/or print a copy of the possible deceased records.

September 2021

Page 8 of 21

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download