Montgomery County had over 667,000 registered voters for the 2012 election. The county utilized 9 early voting centers, 250 precincts on election day, and over 3,000 election judges to process over 71 ballot styles. Through emphasis on early voting resources, targeted election day equipment allocation, extensive poll worker training, and voter education initiatives, Montgomery County achieved some of the shortest lines of large jurisdictions in Maryland for the 2012 presidential election.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

5. 5

6. 6

7. Submitting
your
application
7

8. Submitting Your Application
8

9. Submitting
your
application
Processing
your voter
registration
9

10. 10

11. Processing your registration
•
•
•
Is it complete and legible?
Did we receive it in time?
Maryland requires identity
verification at time of
registration
•
•
•
•
MVA or last four of SSN
Only exception is in-person
registrants who check “do not have”
Failure to provide prompts ID
requirement at the polls
Last-minute registrants – particularly if
they provide SSN and not MVA number may have to cast a provisional ballot
11

12. Processing your registration:
Motor Vehicle Administration
•
•
•
•
Vast majority of all new
registrations and record updates
More or less automatic for voter
(opt in)
Manual process on back end
Lack of name standard leads to:
•
•
•
Match quality concerns
Transactions without material change
to voter record (i.e. middle initial)
Impact on petition verification
12

13. Processing your registration:
Online registration
•
•
•
•
Launched just before
2012 general election
Requires match to current driver’s
license
Not integrated with voter record
lookup; voter retypes all data
Not yet seeing the efficiency
savings of other states
13

14. Registration Method:
Mail
•
•
•
•
•
Handwriting
Smaller percentage than in the past
High volume at peak processing time
Voters submit duplicates
“just to be sure”
Voters tend to provide last four of SSN
rather than driver’s license number.
• Can lead to duplicate voters or
identity confusion – i.e., John Smith
and J. Henry Smith with same DOB
and last four of SSN
14

15. Registration Method:
High School
15

16. Registration Method:
Forms received through April drive
16

17. Registration Method:
Forms received through April drive
* Teens now registering @MVA at 16
17

18. Registration Method:
Nursing Home
18

19. Registration Method:
Federal Post Card
•
•
•
Can be used for both registration
and absentee ballot request
Default for absentee ballot request
is one federal election cycle
Means of applying for federal-only
ballot if do not intend to return
from overseas
19

20. Other Registration Methods
•
•
•
•
•
Petition signature
Absentee ballot application
Provisional ballot
Jury service
USPS change of address
•
•
In-state changes only
Yellow stickers; one of few
counties that purchases NCOA
20

21. Submitting
your
application
Processing
your voter
registration
Getting your
data to the
polls
21

22. State Board of Elections
Early voting
(E-12 to 5 days)
Close of registration
(E-21 days)
Election Day
22

23. Montgomery County has 1,200 electronic pollbooks that must be individually
loaded with updated voter data for the correct precinct, tested and secured
with numbered seals. Chain of custody documentation must also be
completed for each pollbook between early voting and Election Day.

24. Submitting
your
application
Processing
your voter
registration
Getting your
data to the
polls
Updates by
provisional
ballot
24

25. Provisional Ballots
•
•
•
Majority are out-of-precinct or change of address
Counted for all *eligible* contests (may not be same ballot style in that polling place)
Labor-intensive form of “convenience” voting
25

26. 2012 General Election:
13,411 provisional ballots
Disposition:
Reasons for issuance (estimates):
Reasons for rejection:
26

27. •Submitting
your
application
•Processing
your voter
registration
•Hello? Are
you still
there?
•Getting
your data to
the polls
Q: What happens if
you don’t vote?
A: Nothing
27

28. •Submitting
your
application
•Processing
your voter
registration
•Hello? Are
you still
there?
•Getting
your data to
the polls
Q: What happens if
your mail bounces?
A: You become an
“inactive voter”
28

29. What does it mean to be an
“inactive voter”?

We have reason to believe you’re not there.
Laws, regulations dictate.

Usually, this means:



We try to contact you


Confirmation mailings sent; update if in-state address
You still appear in the pollbook


Our mail to you has been returned undeliverable or
You declared yourself ineligible for jury duty
Have to affirm residency to cast ballot
This is where it matters if you don’t vote –

Inactivity triggers cancellation after two federal cycles
with no vote, no response to our mailings, no petition
signature, no jury duty or MVA update
29

30. •Submitting
your
application
•Processing
your voter
registration
•Hello? Are
you still
there?
•Getting
your data to
the polls
•We send
you lots of
mail
30

31. Returned mail:
Sample ballot sent to all voters
31

32. Eventual cancellation if…
32

33. Montgomery County has
667,393 registered voters
***estimated 600,000 transactions in FY13
33

34. Montgomery County Voters:
Party Affiliation
Libertarian: 2,146
Green: 1,690
Americans Elect: 28
No longer recognized:
Constitution Party, Independent Party,
Populist Party, Reform Party
34

35. 35

36. 36

37. 2012 Presidential Election:
Our Decisions/Advantages in Minimizing Lines

Good facilities


Emphasis on pollworkers





30-35 DREs, 5-10 EPBs at each early voting site
24 workers plus 3+ staff/Board members at each site at all times
Staff, trainers available to focus on moving the process efficiently
Targeted limited Election Day resources



Multiple trainers in each class, hands-on training
Aggressive screening and evaluation
Dedicated resources to early voting


Large county recreation centers; some other counties needed to
use less well-equipped libraries in high turnout areas
Based on actual past use of individual pieces of equipment
Nuances of each precinct (facility issues, experience of workers,
demographic factors, language assistance and other needs)
Voter education


Sample ballot to all households, paid and unpaid advertising
FutureVote, metroDCvote.org, and other outreach initiatives
37

38. 38

39. Voter
Registration
39

40. Operations
and IT
40

41. Absentee
Voting
41

42. 2012 Presidential Election:
Voting in Montgomery County
Early
17%
Absentee
9%
Statewide
Early
16%
Election
Day
74%
Absentee
6%
Election
Day
78%
42

43. 43

44. 44

45. 45

46. 46

47. Absentee
Voting
47

48. 48

49. Absentee Voting
•
•
•
•
•
No excuse needed
Ballot must be postmarked by
Election Day
Can be received up to ten later
Special elections can be
conducted entirely by mail
New for 2014:
•
•
State assuming responsibility for
UOCAVA voter services
All voters can request ballot online,
print from home, send using own
envelope/paper
49

50. 50

51. Operations
and IT
51

52. 52

53. 53

54. Non-EJ
Operations/IT
54

55. Election Day
Average Hourly Turnout by Precinct
55

56. 56

57. Election
Judge
Management
57

58. 58

59. 59

61. 2012 Presidential Election:
Shortest Lines of Large Jurisdictions in State
Early Voting (% of Statewide)
20%
Wait Time in Minutes
(Responses to MIT Cooperative Congressional Election Study)
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
80
8%
70
6%
60
Prince George's County
50
Anne Arundel County
40
Baltimore City
30
Baltimore County
20
4%
Montgomery County
2%
0%
Prince
George's
County
eo
rg
An
e's
ne
Co
Ar
un
un
ty
de
lC
ou
Ba
nt
y
ltim
or
Ba
e
ltim
Ci
ty
or
M
e
on
Co
tg
un
om
ty
er
y
Co
un
ty
G
Pr
in
ce
Baltimore
County
Montgomery
County
Election Day (% of Statewide)
10
0
Anne Arundel Baltimore City
County
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Prince
George's
County
Anne Arundel Baltimore City
County
Baltimore
County
Montgomery
County
61

62. 62

63. 63

64. 64

65. 2012 Presidential Election:
Our Decisions/Advantages in Minimizing Lines

Good facilities


Emphasis on pollworkers





30-35 DREs, 5-10 EPBs at each early voting site
24 workers plus 3+ staff/Board members at each site at all times
Staff, trainers available to focus on moving the process efficiently
Targeted limited Election Day resources



Multiple trainers in each class, hands-on training
Aggressive screening and evaluation
Dedicated resources to early voting


Large county recreation centers; some other counties needed to
use less well-equipped libraries in high turnout areas
Based on actual past use of individual pieces of equipment
Nuances of each precinct (facility issues, experience of workers,
demographic factors, language assistance and other needs)
Voter education


Sample ballot to all households, paid and unpaid advertising
FutureVote, metroDCvote.org, and other outreach initiatives
65

66. State Board of Elections
Early voting
(E-12 to 5 days)
Close of registration
(E-21 days)
Election Day
66

67. 2012 Presidential Election:
Our Decisions/Advantages in Minimizing Lines

Good facilities


Emphasis on pollworkers





30-35 DREs, 5-10 EPBs at each early voting site
24 workers plus 3+ staff/Board members at each site at all times
Staff, trainers available to focus on moving the process efficiently
Targeted limited Election Day resources



Multiple trainers in each class, hands-on training
Aggressive screening and evaluation
Dedicated resources to early voting


Large county recreation centers; some other counties needed to
use less well-equipped libraries in high turnout areas
Based on actual past use of individual pieces of equipment
Nuances of each precinct (facility issues, experience of workers,
demographic factors, language assistance and other needs)
Voter education


Sample ballot to all households, paid and unpaid advertising
FutureVote, metroDCvote.org, and other outreach initiatives
67

68. 2012 Presidential Election:
Our Decisions/Advantages in Minimizing Lines

Good facilities


Emphasis on pollworkers





30-35 DREs, 5-10 EPBs at each early voting site
24 workers plus 3+ staff/Board members at each site at all times
Staff, trainers available to focus on moving the process efficiently
Targeted limited Election Day resources



Multiple trainers in each class, hands-on training
Aggressive screening and evaluation
Dedicated resources to early voting


Large county recreation centers; some other counties needed to
use less well-equipped libraries in high turnout areas
Based on actual past use of individual pieces of equipment
Nuances of each precinct (facility issues, experience of workers,
demographic factors, language assistance and other needs)
Voter education


Sample ballot to all households, paid and unpaid advertising
FutureVote, metroDCvote.org, and other outreach initiatives
68

69. 69

72. 2012 Presidential Election:
Voting in Montgomery County
Montgomery County
Early
17%
Absentee
9%
Statewide
Early
16%
Absentee
6%
Election
Day
74%
Election
Day
78%
72

73. 2012 Presidential Election:
Voting in Montgomery County
Montgomery County
Early
17%
Absentee
9%
Statewide
Early
16%
Absentee
6%
Election
Day
74%
Election
Day
78%
73

74. By the Numbers
667,393
registered voters
71 ballot styles
9 early voting centers
250 precincts
3,000 Election Judges
2,000 Future Vote students
3,200 voting machines
1,200 electronic pollbooks
74

75. Budget for FY 2013-2014
75

76. Budget for FY 2014
Permanent and
Temporary Personnel by
Function
76

77. Outreach
•
•
•
•
No dedicated full-time staff
Paid advertising:
$20,000
Sample ballot:
$200,000
Future Vote:
Priceless
77

79. 79

80. Early Voting
80

81. Early Voting
Early Voting Turnout by Voting Center Location
5000
4500
4000
3500
BAUER
3000
EOB
2500
GMNTOWN
PRAISNER
2000
SIL SPRING
1500
1000
500
0
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
81

82. Election Day
Average Hourly Turnout by Precinct
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
82

83. Election Day
Average Hourly Turnout PER DRE by Precinct
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
83

84. 7:
00
am
8:
00
am
9:
00
am
10
:0
0a
m
11
:0
0a
m
12
:0
0p
m
1:
00
pm
2:
00
pm
3:
00
pm
4:
00
pm
5:
00
pm
6:
00
pm
7:
00
pm
8:
00
pm
9:
00
pm
Election Day
Hourly Turnout by Precinct
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
84

85. 8:
00
pm
9:
00
pm
6:
00
pm
7:
00
pm
4:
00
pm
5:
00
pm
9:
00
am
10
:0
0a
m
11
:0
0a
m
12
:0
0p
m
1:
00
pm
2:
00
pm
3:
00
pm
7:
00
am
8:
00
am
Election Day
Hourly Turnout PER DRE by Precinct
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
85

86. 2012 Presidential Election:
Our Decisions/Advantages in Minimizing Lines

Good facilities


Emphasis on pollworkers





30-35 DREs, 5-10 EPBs at each early voting site
24 workers plus 3+ staff/Board members at each site at all times
Staff, trainers available to focus on moving the process efficiently
Targeted limited Election Day resources



Multiple trainers in each class, hands-on training
Aggressive screening and evaluation
Dedicated resources to early voting


Large county recreation centers; some other counties needed to
use less well-equipped libraries in high turnout areas
Based on actual past use of individual pieces of equipment
Nuances of each precinct (facility issues, experience of workers,
demographic factors, language assistance and other needs)
Voter education


Sample ballot to all households, paid and unpaid advertising
FutureVote, metroDCvote.org, and other outreach initiatives
86

87. 2012 Presidential Election:
Shortest Lines of Large Jurisdictions in State
Early Voting (% of Statewide)
20%
Wait Time in Minutes
(Responses to MIT Cooperative Congressional Election Study)
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
80
8%
70
6%
60
Prince George's County
50
Anne Arundel County
40
Baltimore City
30
Baltimore County
20
4%
Montgomery County
2%
0%
Prince
George's
County
eo
rg
An
e's
ne
Co
Ar
un
un
ty
de
lC
ou
Ba
nt
y
ltim
or
Ba
e
ltim
Ci
ty
or
M
e
on
Co
tg
un
om
ty
er
y
Co
un
ty
G
Pr
in
ce
Baltimore
County
Montgomery
County
Election Day (% of Statewide)
10
0
Anne Arundel Baltimore City
County
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Prince
George's
County
Anne Arundel Baltimore City
County
Baltimore
County
Montgomery
County
87

88. 88