Stations in the Polling Place

Posted on August 3, 2016 | Comments Off on Stations in the Polling Place

Your polling place will be organized into different Stations, each of which have a specific set of responsibilities.  All Election Judges will rotate to the different stations throughout the day. This assures that you will not get tired by doing the same thing throughout the entire day.  This also helps with election accuracy.  It is good to periodically give each Station a fresh set of eyes to make sure we are adhering to proper election processes.

Here you will find a brief description of each Station, and the election judge duties that you will be responsible for.

Door-Greeter Station

  • Help voters who have used the BallotCall (doorbell).
  • Direct voters to Check-In Station or Registration Station.
  • This station may be combined with the Ballot Box Station (see below) if your poll has a small number of election judges.

Check-In Station

  • Look up voters using VoteSafe pollbook.
  • Compare signatures on the screen and ballot application, and check-in the voter.  If voter chooses to use the ExpressVote (“electronic” ballot), insert the ExpressVote ballot into printer to create the barcode.  Send voter to Ballot Station with their ballot application and ExpressVote ballot (if applicable).

20170808_142732  Sig Verify  20170808_141744

  • Sometimes the voter circumstances will alter your actions. It will be necessary to use the Judge’s Guide to Ballot Entitlement to know exactly what actions to take.  Also refer to Election Judge’s Manual. Possible solutions may include:
    • Send the voter to the Registration Station
    • Direct voter to a different polling place
    • Complete an Affidavit
    • Use Provisional Voting
    • Call the office or send Live Help with questions

Ballot Station

  • Provide the correct ballot to checked-in or newly registered voters.
  • Place the voter’s ballot application on a spindle.
  • Provide instructions as needed on marking paper ballots or ExpressVote ballots.
  • Provide assistance during voting process if needed (along with another election judge of the opposite political party).
  • If necessary, provide voter with replacement ballot if original ballot is spoiled.

Paper Ballot                                       ExpressVote Ballot

  20170808_141236    OR   20160129_084531

Voters may come to the Ballot Station from two different locations: the Check-In Station and the Registration Station.  Where the voter comes from will determine which type of ballot application they will use.  If they come from the Check-In Station, they will have a half-sheet size ballot application.  If the voter comes from the Registration Station, they will have a full-sheet size ballot application.  Place all of the similar ballot applications together on a spindle and number them consecutively.  Use SEPARATE LARGE and SMALL SPINDLES for the different types of ballot applications.  Do not put the different types of ballot applications on the same spindle.


20170808_142135  20170808_142405

Ballot Box Station

  • May be combined with Door Greeter if your poll has a small number of election judges.
  • Show voters where to deposit their voted ballots.
  • Help voter with spoiled ballots or other voter difficulties.
  • Offer one “I Voted” sticker to each voter.  Do Not place the sticker on the voter.  Instead, pass the sticker to the voter on your out-stretched finger, and allow them to place it where they want to.
  • If the DS200 Tabulator becomes inoperable anytime throughout the day, the auxiliary bin should be opened and used.  Voting should never stop.  Contact the Elections Office about the DS200 problems so we can send out a technician to work on it.  After the polls close at 7 pm, any ballots in the auxiliary bin will be processed before the DS200 Tabulator is closed down.

judges initials    ds200 ballot in  20170808_141443

Registration Station

  • Voters may register to vote or update their address on Election Day, this is called Grace Period Registration.  This responsibility may be part of the Election Judge duties at some elections, but there may be dedicated registration officials for other elections.
  • While working the Registration Station, you will instruct the voter to complete a registration form, verify that it is fully and completely filled out, check the voter’s required ID’s, and then direct the voter to the Ballot Station to receive a ballot.
  • If a voter is already registered but needs to update their address, you will follow these same steps to re-register the voter under their correct address.
  • If the voter attempts to register but does not have the required ID’s, the voter is eligible to vote provisionally.  If they provide the ID’s to the Election Office within 7 days after Election Day, their ballot will be counted in the final Election Results.
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