October 25, 2021

Election Day Incident Information Sharing Room: November 2, 2021

The Bureau of Elections invites election officials to join the Election Day information sharing room for the upcoming November 2, 2021 election. The purpose of this room is to share election related information, in particular information regarding incidents that have occurred, between local government officials, local election officials, and the Michigan Election Incident Response Team. You may log in and use the chat area to stay informed and report any election security related incidents directly with BOE, DTMB, Michigan State Police, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security (all of which are part of the BOE Election Incident Response Team). Information shared in this room should be considered raw information and should not be shared with the public or the media. The room will be open from 7am to 9pm.

Attendance in this room is optional and you also may drop in and out throughout the day for updates.

To receive a link to join the room, please e-mail Ashiya Brown at BrownA30@Michigan.gov.

Voting Accessibility Resources

We have updated our accessibility training video in eLearning and on our YouTube Channel. This video provides guidance and best practices to ensure you provide a smooth and accessible election for your voters, including voters with disabilities. The video can be viewed in eLearning here and on our YouTube channel here.

On Thursday, October 28 at 3pm, the National Federation of the Blind will host a webinar to share feedback on the experiences of blind and low-vision voters with election workers in the 2020 General Election. This webinar will also cover the courtesy rules of blindness. To register for this webinar, please send an email with your name and organization to Jeff Kaloc, jkaloc@nfb.org, or Lou Ann Blake, lblake@nfb.org. Zoom information for the webinar will be provided approximately one week before the event. The webinar will be recorded and provided to all registered participants. 

Cyber Security Awareness Month - Week 4

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) are using the overarching theme “Do you Part. #BeCyberSmart” during the month of October. This theme encourages individuals and organizations to protect their part of cyberspace by stressing personal accountability and the importance of taking proactive steps. The Bureau of Elections is highlighting 4 weeks of Cybersecurity Awareness by helping election officials better understand how attackers will try to deceive and manipulate you. This final week will continue to focus on the following areas of cybersecurity.

• Week 4-October 25: Cybersecurity first; Protect Your Identity: In this final week, we are informing users of identity fraud with a prerecorded webinar and an informative flyer to post as a daily reminder to stay vigilant.

 Video resources:

• Leaky data video

Printable Poster:

• Cybersecurity Starts with You Poster

Visit CISA’s website to find their Cybersecurity Awareness Month resources, including a partner toolkit, partner presentation, and tip sheets. Some resources are also available in Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, and Traditional Chinese.

Reminder - BOE Technical Support for the November 2 Election

The following support will be available from the QVF Help Desk and BOE election specialists prior to and on November 2:

Saturday, October 30: 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 31: 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Monday, November 1: 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Election Day, November 2: 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

NOTE: If your call goes to voicemail, please leave a detailed message and your call will be returned as quickly as possible.

Phone numbers:

QVF Help Desk: 800-310-5697

Election specialists: 517-335-3237

Review the Bureau of Elections Contact Information for Election Officials to get connected to the correct division faster.

COVID-19 Protocols for November Election

There are currently no state orders regarding COVID-19 in place specifically for the November 2, 2021 election. You should follow any guidelines provided by your county or local health officials. Clerk staff, voters, and election inspectors should monitor the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website on COVID-19, https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus, for the up-to-date list of epidemic orders and the latest State of Michigan Information on COVID-19. This page includes a resource on face mask recommendations.  CDC COVID-19 Guidelines are also available.

QVF Completed Requests - Inbox

Previously, completed merge, bad signature, and street index requests in the clerk inbox were visible for only 24 hours after completion. Notifications will now be available for 30 days after completion. This will better enable clerks to review notes documented during processing.

E-learning Updates

Please review the updated security material now available on eLearning. The Election Day Emergency Response Plan Template has been edited to include the FBI Election Crimes Coordinators contact information. The Election Crimes Coordinator may be contacted for Reports of any threatening, harassing behavior or any communication that makes someone uncomfortable should be shared with the ECC. This includes phone calls, emails, text messages, social media posts, and comments on blogs or articles. Not everything will be a crime, but the only way the federal government will have a true picture of what’s going on is if we report everything. The ECC is prepared to investigate any allegation of a federal election crime.

The  Emergency Response Guide poster has also been updated. Please download (Print if possible) copies of both documents as a reference for security related events.

In this issue:

• Election Day Incident Information Sharing Room: November 2, 2021
• Training Tidbits - Post-Election Audits
• Voting Accessibility Resources
• Election Day Registration at Clerk's Office Reminders
• Reminders: Saturday and/or Sunday Office Hours, AV Ballot Issuance and Voter Registration
• Cyber Security Awareness Month Week 4
• Election Night Material Delivery
• Reminder - BOE Technical Support for the November 2 Election
• Time Adjustment for Tabulators and Voter Assist Terminals
• COVID-19 Protocols for November 2 Election
• Use Auxiliary Bin if Tabulators Go Down
• Emergencies on Election Day
• QVF Completed Requests - Inbox
• eLearning Updates

Training Tidbits - Post-Election Audits

Our next Training Tidbits webinar will occur at noon tomorrow, October 26, with a one-hour session on post-election audits. Please sign-up prior to the start of the session in the eLearning center  and contact electionseLearning@michigan.gov with any questions.

We will be pausing the Tidbits webinar series through the end of the year. Look for information regarding new sessions in a future News Update.

Remember - we have also created a Training Tidbits Play List in eLearning where you can find the recordings of previous sessions.

Election Day Registration at Clerk's Office Reminders

On Election Day, there should be no campaigning or solicitation within 100 feet of the entrance to the clerk’s office.

Anyone in line to register and vote at 8 p.m. must be provided the opportunity to do so. You may not turn away people who are in line at 8 p.m.

You should inform precinct inspectors that the AV ballots for voters in line at the close of polls will be sent to either the precinct or the AV counting board after all voters have had the opportunity to vote, and they must not close down the polls until all AV ballots have been delivered and processed.

Reminders: Saturday and/or Sunday Office Hours, AV Ballot Issuance and Voter Registration

Local clerks or other authorized personnel appointed by the clerk must be available in the clerk's office for at least 8 hours offered in some combination of hours Saturday, October 30 and/or Sunday, October 31. On Saturday and/or Sunday, voters may register to vote with residency verification and/or request an absentee ballot in person. During that weekend voters may take any AV ballot issued with them - it doesn't have to be voted in the clerk's office.

The Emergency Absentee Ballot window starts after 5 p.m. Friday, October 29 and goes through 4 p.m. on Election Day. On Monday, November 1, voters may request an absentee ballot in person and vote the ballot in the clerk's office until 4 p.m. Absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Check the post office after normal delivery for late arriving ballots on Election Day. If you have a drop box, it must be checked at 8 p.m. on Election Day. For full instruction on the Absentee Voting Process review Ch. 6 of the Election Officials' Manual.

Election Night Material Delivery

For local elections not held in conjunction with a county or state election, local clerks may deliver election materials to the County Clerk and Board of Canvassers by 11:00 a.m. the day after the election, Wednesday, November 3. The County Canvass must begin no later than November 4 at 9 a.m. and conclude by November 16. Local clerks are advised to coordinate the delivery of election materials with their County Clerk.

Time Adjustment for Tabulators and Voter Assist Terminals

Please ensure that tabulators, Voter Assist Terminals (VATs), and EPBs have the correct time. Tabulators and VATs must be manually adjusted to the correct time, and EPBs may need to be manually adjusted (click on the time in the lower right corner of the screen to change). Review the  Time Adjustment Instructions for Tabulators and Voter Assist Terminals for instructions.

Use Auxiliary Bin if Tabulators Go Down

If problems occur on Election Day with a tabulator, you must continue to process voters as normal. Voters should be instructed to place their voted ballot in the auxiliary bin of the tabulator and must never be told to wait or come back later while the tabulator issue is addressed.

Emergencies on Election Day

Remember: County and local clerks cannot shorten or extend the polling hours unless and until directed If an emergency occurs within your jurisdiction which could have potentially interrupted the voting process or closes one or more polling places in your jurisdiction, take direction from local law enforcement officials and call the Bureau of Elections as soon as possible. If it is necessary to evacuate a polling place for any reason, instruct the precinct board to take possession of the poll book before leaving the polling place.

If an emergency occurs outside your jurisdiction which raises questions over the interruption of the voting process or the suspension of the election, do not take action unless or until you receive direction from the Bureau of Elections. Polling hours cannot be extended beyond 8:00 p.m. without a court order.

An emergency response guide is available in the eLearning Center. All jurisdictions should have an individual emergency response plan. A template also available on the eLearning Center. For protocols to follow if there is a COVID-19 exposure in your office, see the exposure protocols document.

Minor Emergencies

Power Outages - Tabulators, some VATs and Electronic Pollbooks will run for a significant amount of time if properly charged. Keep devices charging on Election Day!

Laptop/Flash Drive Malfunctions - Have precinct lists and pollbooks available for immediate use by election inspectors in the event of an EPB failure. Also consider having a backup encrypted flash drive available for use.

The Bureau of Elections will use email for urgent communications. Please make sure you are checking your email throughout the day. In the event of a wide-scale emergency on Election Day, the Bureau of Elections will send a News Update.

Helpful Links