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September 28, 2020
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EPB Practice & Education Day
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Electronic Pollbook (EPB) Practice Day is Thursday, October 1! Online courses will be available in the Elections eLearning Center. Staff will dedicate the day to answering your questions by email and phone as you practice and prepare your EPB for Election Day.
Our call volume increases tremendously the weekend before the election, so we are unable to provide extensive EPB instruction and training to users at that late date. For that reason, EPB Practice Day is especially important because it gives you the opportunity to have your questions addressed more thoroughly, point you toward instructional resources early, and have any needed discussions well ahead of the election. By preparing yourself extensively prior to Election Day, you can also help reduce call volume in the days before the Election and help the Bureau of Elections respond to clerk questions more quickly. Early and thorough practice with the Electronic Pollbook is key to Election Day success.
Activities for the EPB Practice day include:
- QVF EPB – What’s New for November 2020
- Specific “EPB Export” videos that explain how to download files in Chrome or Internet Explorer in both multi-precinct and single-precinct scenarios.
- Specific “EPB Tips” videos that show you how to solve common problems and questions on your own, such as:
- What if I can’t install my EPB due to errors?
- What if I try to back up my file but it can’t access the drive?
- What if I can’t record my AV ballots because the button is “grayed out”?
- Why won’t the EPB let me spoil an AV in the precinct?
- Why can’t I upload history? We saved the backup all day!
- …and more!
- EPB Practice Scenarios
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EPB Stress Test at 2:00 p.m. – Practice downloading your EPB file. Participating in this activity helps us to monitor the performance to ensure we are prepared for the download process the Monday prior to the election. We have added computing power and server space to the EPB for November, but this test will help us make sure it’s enough. Please plan on participating.
- Lots of staff available to answer your EPB specific needs
To participate in the courses, simply log in to the eLearning Center on October 1st and select your preferred online course(s). No course pre-registration is required since there are no specifically scheduled webinars. Content will remain available on eLearning for those who cannot attend October 1st.
Thank you! We look forward to answering your questions on Thursday!
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Options for Straight Ticket, Split Ticket and Mixed Ticket Voting |
Michigan is one of a few states that allow voters to vote “straight ticket” in a general election, which means voters may fill in one oval or box next to a party name to cast a vote for every candidate of that political party. Michigan also allows for voters to select the straight party option but then cast votes for individual candidates of a different party (“split ticket”). Because voters have different ballot marking options, it is critical to provide appropriate and accurate ballot marking instructions with all absent voter ballots and on all ballot secrecy sleeves in the polling place. In the November Election, voters have the following options:
“Straight Ticket” Voting: Voters may vote in the straight party race and select the party of their choosing - this will award votes up to the maximum allowed (and maximum candidates available) for each partisan race for the voter’s chosen party. The candidates receive “indirect votes” based on the voter’s single straight-party ballot selection. For example: Casting a vote for the Ice Cream Party in the straight party race will indirectly cast a vote for all candidates running under that party to the maximum allowed for each race in which the party is participating. If there are any races in which the Ice Cream Party is not participating, no votes will be cast in that race. If the voter wishes to vote in any non-partisan races and proposals, the voter must make selections in these races separately.
“Split Ticket” Voting: Voters may vote in the straight party race and select the party of their choosing, but then vote directly in an individual race (or multiple individual races) by directly voting for a candidate from a different party, voting for a candidate with no party affiliation, or casting a write-in vote. As with straight ticket voting, voting in the straight party race will indirectly cast a vote for all candidates running under that party to the maximum allowed for each race in which the party is participating, except where the voter overrides an indirect vote by a casting direct vote for a candidate of a different party, a candidate with no party affiliation, or a write-in vote. For example: If a voter casts a straight party vote for the Ice Cream Party but directly casts a vote for one individual candidate of the Pie Party, the straight party vote will indirectly cast a vote for all candidates running under the Ice Cream Party to the maximum allowed for each race in which the Ice Cream Party is participating, except for the one race in which the voter cast a vote for the Pie Party candidate. If there are any races in which the Ice Cream Party is not participating, no votes will be cast in that race if no direct vote for another candidate is made. If the voter wishes to vote in any non-partisan races and proposals, the voter must make selections in these races separately.
“Mixed Ticket” Voting: Voters may decline to vote in the straight party race and directly select candidates of their choice from any party (or no party affiliation and write-ins) up to the maximum allowed for each race.
Other Notes: If a voter selects the “straight party” race but then votes for individual candidates of the same party, the vote for those individual candidates will still count, and will only count once. If a voter wishes to vote for a write-in candidate (whether or not they select the straight party option), the voter must fill out the oval for write-in candidate and write the name or it will be an invalid write-in and will not be counted.
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