Understanding Duplicate Voters Resolution Process

DUPLICATE VOTERS Registrars of Voters Conference April 21, 2017

INTRODUCTION Duplicate Voters Duplicate Voters. ( 9-21a). The Goal: One The Goal: One and Only One and Only One Record Per Voter Record Per Voter INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION: Per Section 9-21a, each year the SOTS office will send a file showing possible duplicate records in the CVRS system. These are based on First Name, Last Name and Birth Date (in Active, Inactive and Off status). It is the responsibility of the town with the most recent Privilege/Registration date to research and initiate action on potential duplicates. Because of Canvass, you may wish to wait until after initial CVR letters are sent to begin work on the duplicate list.

OVERVIEW If a voter appears twice in CVRS (in different towns) as a true duplicate, our goal is to preserve the ORIGINAL record with its ORIGINAL data. The most recent town should pull it from the voter s former town and update the ORIGINAL record with newer information from the voter s current file. When the most recent town has inserted and updated all information into the original record (including the registration date), delete the newer record. If you have duplicate records for the same voter in your own town, note both Voter ID numbers, insert all the information from the newer file into the older file, update, and delete the newer file. You should finish with only one complete record for that voter.

BRIEF OUTLINE OF PROCESS The Secretary of the State prepares a list of possible inactive lists of the State of Connecticut s Centralized Voter Registration System. These possible possible duplicate voters will appear in more than one town on the Centralized Voter Registration System. The Secretary of the State forwards such list to any town that may have possible duplicate voters. Upon receipt of such list, the registrars may may make such additional investigation, as they deem necessary to determine whether such voters are in fact duplicate voters. (It is strongly recommended that the registrars of voters in both any possible duplicate voters to ensure a proper determination will be made.) If it is determined that a particular voter is in fact a duplicate voter, the registrar of voters who has determined that the particular voter was previously registered in another town, i.e. the registrar with the newest registration effective date, sends the voter the Notice of Duplicate Voter Registration (attached hereto as Form ED 685). possible duplicate voters on the active and possible both towns discuss and investigate

BRIEF OUTLINE OF PROCESS If the voter does not sign and return form ED 685 within 30 days, the registrar who sent such notice should (1) transfer the older voter record on the Centralized Voter Registration System, along with the voter history, from the town in which the voter was previously registered, (2) with both voters now on the registry list in the town with the newest registration effective date, update the older record with any necessary information contained in the new record, and (3) cancel the newer voter record. No elector shall be removed from the registry list pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes No elector shall be removed from the registry list pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 9 9- -21a unless both registrars of such town agree that such elector has subsequently registered to vote in another unless both registrars of such town agree that such elector has subsequently registered to vote in another town. town. 21a If the voter was on the active list and signs and returns form ED 685 within 30 days, confirming that the voter is still entitled to be on the registry list in the previous town, such voter shall remain on the active list in the previous town and the registrar of voters who sent such notice shall transfer such voter s name to the off off list. If the voter was on the inactive list and signs and returns form ED 685 within 30 days, confirming that the voter is still entitled to be on the registry list in the previous town, such voter shall be restored to the active list in the previous town and the registrar of voters who sent such notice shall transfer such voter s name to the off off list.

PROCEDURE OFF STATUS IN YOUR TOWN If the duplicate voter is OFF in your town, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY out or wait until another town takes them. NO ACTION IS NECESSARY. Let them age

PROCEDURE INACTIVE OR ACTIVE STATUS IN YOUR TOWN Most recent town researches the duplicate registrations. Most recent town researches the duplicate registrations. Use the same research procedures for the duplicate list that you use every day with a new voter to determine whether you should pull a record from another town. COMPARE middle initials, name changes, and other changes Request copies of voter registration cards Request copies of voter registration cards, if needed, to compare signatures, DMV numbers or SSNs. Use Inquiries search Use Inquiries search statewide statewide to view voter s previous addresses or name changes in previous town s records. Use any available phone numbers Use any available phone numbers to request information from voter.

PROCEDURE Most recent town sends a Form 685 Most recent town sends a Form 685. The voter s most recent town sends Form 685 (on next page) to the voter in its town to help in determining whether the voter was previously registered in the town listed on the duplicate list. A response is required 30 days later from the voter. Notify the registrar in the former town that you re sending the form to that voter.

PROCEDURE After 30 days, the most recent town contacts the former town. After 30 days, the most recent town contacts the former town. Notify registrar of response from voter or no response from voter. If applicable, re-confirm that both are in agreement for the voter s current town to pull the record from the voter s former town.

PROCEDURE Voter s current town pulls Voter s current town pulls the voter record from the former town and prepares to preserve it as the ORIGINAL record and inputs information from the voter registration card. Activities / Select Activities / Select the voter s record from the former town. Confirm you are pulling the correct record by checking the duplicate list and any notes you made when researching the duplicates. Verify the Voter ID per your notes. Change the Registration Date Change the Registration Date to reflect the date on which the voter registered in YOUR town. Use Change in Inquiries to change this, if necessary. Use the information from the voter registration card Use the information from the voter registration card new street address, party, name changes just as if you were processing a new voter registration. Accept Accept the registration. Go to Inquiries to verify Go to Inquiries to verify that the record pulled over correctly and that you now have 2 records for that voter. Take your own notes or print Take your own notes or print CVRS CVRS screen shots screen shots from your town s record for that voter to keep track of the updates that had been made to that record over the years by your office voter ID #, election history, name history, address history, etc. Record Record election history, name history, and address history, from the newest record into the newer ORIGINAL record which you just pulled from the other town. Use Activities / Maintain Voter History to add the name changes, voting history, address changes Use Activities / Maintain Voter History to add the name changes, voting history, address changes that have been made by your office to that voter. (Remember to think of the dates as up until this date, this was the correct information. ) This process will create a duplicate record in your town for that voter and will alert the former town that you ve pulled the voter s record. The previous town will receive a CVRS Reminder of a removal and will no longer see the voter s record in CVRS for their town. Also, the former town now will have the paper trail required to move the voter s card to its Off file. PRINT PRINT A COPY OF THE ON A COPY OF THE ON- -LINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION LINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION if applicable If any of the duplicates involved have an on-line record, the on-line record must be preserved if it is the correct/latest voter registration application. File this record with other active voter registration cards.

PROCEDURE Delete your town s newer record for this voter Delete your town s newer record for this voter because you have added all of its information to the file pulled from the former town which has all the ORIGINAL information on it. Note different Voter ID numbers and be careful not to delete the original record that you just pulled from the previous town and updated! The previous town will get a CVRS Reminder of the pulled record, providing the paper trail to move the voter s card to its Off files.