Absentee and Mail Voting Administration Flashcards
6 cards from real CERA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Absentee and Mail Voting Administration flashcards as text
What is a ballot drop box used for in elections administration?
Answer: Providing voters a secure location to return completed absentee ballots without using the mail
Ballot drop boxes are secure, monitored receptacles where voters can deposit completed absentee/mail ballots as an alternative to mailing them.
What is 'ballot harvesting' and why is it controversial?
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
Ballot harvesting (third-party ballot collection) is restricted or banned in many states because of concerns about coercion, tampering, or selective non-submission.
Under most state laws, what does 'canvassing' of absentee ballots refer to?
Answer: The official process of opening, verifying, and preparing absentee ballots for tabulation
Canvassing refers to the official review process — checking signatures, opening envelopes, and preparing ballots — before or after Election Day tabulation.
What is the purpose of a 'secrecy envelope' (inner envelope) in a two-envelope absentee ballot system?
Answer: To separate the voted ballot from the identifiable outer envelope, protecting ballot secrecy
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.
Which HAVA provision most directly affects absentee voting administration for first-time voters who registered by mail?
Answer: It requires first-time voters who registered by mail and did not provide ID verification to show ID when voting, including by absentee
HAVA Section 303 requires first-time mail registrants who did not provide a verifiable ID number to submit ID documentation when voting, including absentee.
What is the recommended chain-of-custody practice for absentee ballot drop boxes?
Answer: Require at least two election workers of different parties to retrieve and log ballots on a defined schedule
Best practice requires bipartisan retrieval teams who log the collection time and ballot count to maintain a secure, auditable chain of custody.