September 28, 2017

Secretary of State offices now issuing REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses and personal ID cards The Secretary of State’s Office now issues driver’s licenses  and personal ID cards that comply with the federal REAL ID Act. As a result, clerks and their staff and election inspectors will see changes to driver's licenses.  As pictured above, a REAL ID Compliant Driver's License (DL) or Personal ID (PID) card will have a star inside a gold circle in the upper right hand corner.  A non-compliant DL or PID will have “Not for federal identification” printed on it (see example below).  Both new versions comply with and may be used for voter registration, in-person AV ballot issuance, and Election Day picture ID requirements.  It's important to note that these changes will not be seen on all DL/PIDs right away and that old versions are still acceptable.  For a listing of all forms of acceptable ID, refer to the Administering Michigan's Voter Identification Requirement document.  For more information on REAL ID, visit the Secretary of State's website.

Measuring Ballot Marking Time This week, electionlineWeekly highlighted a new effort by the Center for Technology & Civic Life to further evaluate Election Day wait times by measuring the amount of time it takes to vote a ballot.  The Center for Technology & Civic Life is looking for jurisdictions who have measured ballot marking times and others who are interested in conducting measurements at future elections.  This information will improve line optimization tools that help local election administrators appropriately assign resources to polling places to ensure proper line management. They've even created a Voting timer app for use.  The app allows a user to keep track of four voters at one time and allows you to share ballot information such as number of contested and uncontested races/contests and number of ballot proposals. If you have voting time data that you can share, or if you’d like to talk about collecting data in your area, email hello@techandciviclife.org

IN THIS ISSUE

• SOS Office Issuing REAL ID driver's licenses and PIDs
• Measuring Ballot Marking Time
• BOE Hiring Election Specialist
• BOE Question of the Week

The Bureau of Elections is looking for a new Election Specialist. This position's main responsibilities would be:

• develop and maintain training materials and conduct training for in-person and online training
• coordinate and manage data collection and reporting requirements
• assist with the oversight of Michigan's nearly 1600 county and local election offices in the performance of their duties to ensure proper practices and procedures
• assist with specialized projects and complete other advanced election related tasks

Full information on the job description, benefits, and how to apply can be found on the Michigan Jobs web page.  Applications will be accepted through October 12, 2017.

BOE Question of the Week:   I received a FOIA request for copies of completed Affidavits of Voter Not in Possession of Picture ID.  Can I provide these?  What if they are retained under seal?   Answer:  The Affidavit of Voter not in Possession of Picture ID forms are public information that must be provided if requested under FOIA.  If the forms are being kept under seal during the retention period, they can be accessed, copied, re-secured and re-sealed with a record/notation of when and why the seal was changed.   Also note that these forms don't need to be kept under seal throughout the retention period.  See pages 8 & 9 of Chapter 16 of the Election Officials' Manual for more information on what items need to be sealed during the retention period. Have a question you'd  like to see in the Question of the Week?  Send them to elections@michigan.gov.

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