CMO Elections & Voter Registration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which of the following is a required voter registration opportunity?
- At federal courthouses
- When applying for a driver's license (Correct answer)
- When filing federal tax returns
- At post offices upon request
Correct answer: When applying for a driver's license
The NVRA (Motor Voter Act) requires states to offer voter registration when citizens apply for or renew a driver's license.
Question 2: A municipal clerk receives a voter registration application 28 days before a general election. The state deadline is 30 days. What is the proper action?
- Accept it and register the voter for the next election cycle
- Reject the application as untimely and notify the applicant (Correct answer)
- Accept it since the deadline has not yet passed and register the voter
- Forward it to the county board for a waiver determination
Correct answer: Reject the application as untimely and notify the applicant
An application received after the state's registration deadline cannot be processed for that election; the clerk must reject it and notify the applicant.
Question 3: Which federal law prohibits requiring a literacy test as a condition of voter registration?
- The Civil Rights Act of 1957
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Correct answer)
- The National Voter Registration Act of 1993
- The Help America Vote Act of 2002
Correct answer: The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Section 10 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 suspended literacy tests, which were later permanently banned by the 1970 amendment.
Question 4: A municipality is required to conduct a special election to fill a vacant council seat. Who typically sets the date for such an election?
- The mayor alone
- The remaining council members by ordinance or resolution (Correct answer)
- The state governor by executive order
- The county board of elections by statute
Correct answer: The remaining council members by ordinance or resolution
In most states, the governing body (remaining council members) sets the special election date by ordinance or resolution within statutory timeframes.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'canvass' following an election?
- Conducting door-to-door outreach to increase voter turnout
- Officially counting and certifying all ballots cast in the election (Correct answer)
- Surveying voters about their candidate preferences after voting
- Reviewing campaign finance disclosures for compliance
Correct answer: Officially counting and certifying all ballots cast in the election
An election canvass is the official process of examining, counting, and certifying all ballots to produce the final certified vote tally.
Question 6: Under HAVA, what identification is generally required of first-time voters who registered by mail and did not provide ID with their registration?
- A valid U.S. passport only
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, or government document showing name and address (Correct answer)
- A Social Security card and birth certificate
- A notarized affidavit from two registered voters
Correct answer: A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, or government document showing name and address
HAVA requires first-time mail registrants without matching ID to present a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or other government document at the polls.
Question 7: A municipal election official discovers that a polling place is inaccessible to voters with disabilities on election day. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Close the polling place and instruct voters to cast provisional ballots by mail
- Relocate voters to the nearest accessible site and post notices at the original location (Correct answer)
- Allow the election to proceed and address accessibility in the next cycle
- Cancel voting at that precinct until accessibility upgrades are complete
Correct answer: Relocate voters to the nearest accessible site and post notices at the original location
Election officials must ensure accessible voting; the appropriate remedy is to relocate voters to an accessible site with clear notice posted at the original location.
CMO Elections & Voter Registration 2
Under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which of the following is a required voter registration opportunity?