Automatic Voter Registration

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) rolled out in the branch offices today.  Now, customers at branch offices for driver’s licenses (DL) and personal identification cards (PID) who are eligible but not currently registered to vote will be automatically registered to vote unless the person opts out. Instead of filling out a separate voter registration form, the voter registration question is now built into the driver’s license application. Each customer who goes in for a DL or PID transaction (new, renewal, change of address, etc.) will fill out a form which will include a citizenship question, and an opt-out box that eligible customers may check if they do not wish to be registered to vote. Branch office staff will verify eligibility during the DL transaction; non-citizens and other ineligible customers will not be registered regardless of whether or not they check the opt out box.

What does this mean for me?

Forms and process are changing, but you will continue to receive voter registration information electronically through QVF.  The branch office voter registration application form number ED-74 (a.k.a. the “blue and white”) will now function as a receipt. You will continue to be mailed the blue and white, but there is no longer a need to verify a new voter signed the form, and therefore you will no longer need to mark any voters who registered through a branch office “verify-sign registration card.” You also no longer need to verify an applicant checked the citizenship box. Both signature verification and eligibility verification will occur at the branch. When you receive a branch receipt, you need to simply do the following:

1. verify the voter is in QVF
2. enter the voter in to QVF if they are not
3. print a mastercard
4. print and send a voter identification card

There may be a short period of time when you receive both the old and new versions of the blue and white, but this will end once all of the old blue and whites sent prior to Sept. 9 are received.  While this new version does not contain a signature, QVF will be updated with the digital signature once all of the server processes occur. 

Finally, eligible customers who update or renew their DL or PID online will also be automatically registered to vote unless they opt out. You will also receive this information through QVF.

Automatic voter registration does not change the process for currently registered voters. Those who are updating their DL addresses will continue to have their voter registration address updated. A currently registered voter will not cancel their registration by opting out of voter registration on a DL form.

Electronic Poll Book (EPB) Requirement Updates 

In order to assist you as you are preparing for the 2020 election cycle, the Electronic Pollbook (EPB) Requirements document has been updated to reflect the new purchase minimum and preferred requirements.  The "Purchasing New" section provides the updated requirements and the "Existing Computer Requirements" section is for the laptops you already have and maintain.

Many of the Purchasing New requirements are based on minimum industry standards in today’s market.  The Minimum Requirements computer is affordably priced and the Preferred Requirements is generally priced at mid-range in today’s market. 

QVF Refresh Update

The QVF Release Notes for September 6, 2019, are as follows:

Reports.

• Daily AV Report now has an option to show FOIA Exempt fields of email address and phone number when selecting the CSV output option. The default is not to show either of these.

• Most reports now default to “no” for non-disclosable information.  When the report contains non-disclosable information, the report has the following statement: “This report contains non-disclosable information, do not share with public.”

• Appointment Credential Report properly populates the clerk’s number on this report.

• AV Rejected now shows the rejected reason on the csv file output.

EPB Practice & Education Day

The QVF Help Desk is hosting an EPB Practice and Education Day for all EPB users on October 8, 2019. We are dedicating this day to answer questions about the Electronic Poll Book and provide webinars about this topic. Blocking off this day a month before the election will allow you to spend some time preparing your laptop for the election, practice the EPB, and take the time to learn more about the EPB download from QVF and other useful practices. Since the QVF Help Desk will be less busy on October 8, 2019, we can dedicate more time to answering you questions on practice day.

Throughout the day we will conduct teleconference webinars, answer your phone calls, and assist you as you pull out those laptops and begin practicing for the November 5, 2019 election.

The agenda for the day includes:

• QVF Refresh EPB Features and Discussion Webinar
• QVF Refresh EP – Preparing for 2020 Webinar
• EPB Practice Scenarios
• EPB Download Stress test for all jurisdictions
• Lots of staff available to answer your EPB specific needs

BOE Question of the Week:

How does a voter have to submit a spoiled ballot request in writing?

Answer: As long as you receive something from the voter with a signature that can be confirmed with their signature in QVF or on the voter's mastercard, the manner in which it is sent to you does not matter. An email, text, fax, postcard, etc. are all acceptable.

Have a question you'd like to see
in the Question of the Week?  Send it to Elections@Michigan.gov.