CERA Absentee and Mail Voting Administration 2

Question 1

What is a ballot drop box used for in elections administration?

Accepted Answer

Providing voters a secure location to return completed absentee ballots without using the mail

Answer

Ballot drop boxes are secure, monitored receptacles where voters can deposit completed absentee/mail ballots as an alternative to mailing them.

Question 2

What is 'ballot harvesting' and why is it controversial?

Accepted Answer

The practice of a third party collecting and submitting completed absentee ballots on behalf of voters, which some states restrict or prohibit due to fraud concerns

Answer

Ballot harvesting (third-party ballot collection) is restricted or banned in many states because of concerns about coercion, tampering, or selective non-submission.

Question 3

Under most state laws, what does 'canvassing' of absentee ballots refer to?

Accepted Answer

The official process of opening, verifying, and preparing absentee ballots for tabulation

Answer

Canvassing refers to the official review process — checking signatures, opening envelopes, and preparing ballots — before or after Election Day tabulation.

Question 4

What is the purpose of a 'secrecy envelope' (inner envelope) in a two-envelope absentee ballot system?

Accepted Answer

To separate the voted ballot from the identifiable outer envelope, protecting ballot secrecy

Answer

The inner secrecy envelope ensures that once the outer envelope is verified and removed, the voter's identity cannot be linked to their specific ballot.

Question 5

Which HAVA provision most directly affects absentee voting administration for first-time voters who registered by mail?

Accepted Answer

It requires first-time voters who registered by mail and did not provide ID verification to show ID when voting, including by absentee

Answer

HAVA Section 303 requires first-time mail registrants who did not provide a verifiable ID number to submit ID documentation when voting, including absentee.

CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Practice Test

CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Practice Test

CERA Absentee and Mail Voting Administration 2