CMO Elections & Voter Registration 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'write-in' candidate in a municipal election?
- A candidate endorsed in writing by the incumbent officeholder
- A candidate whose name does not appear on the printed ballot but who receives votes written in by voters (Correct answer)
- A candidate who submits a written statement of candidacy after the filing deadline
- A candidate who campaigns only through written correspondence
Correct answer: A candidate whose name does not appear on the printed ballot but who receives votes written in by voters
A write-in candidate is one whose name is not pre-printed on the ballot; voters cast a vote by writing the candidate's name in a designated space.
Question 2: Under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), who is entitled to absentee voting protections?
- All U.S. citizens living more than 50 miles from their home polling place
- Active duty military members, their families, and U.S. citizens residing outside the country (Correct answer)
- Federal employees stationed outside their home state
- Any voter who submits a written hardship request at least 30 days before the election
Correct answer: Active duty military members, their families, and U.S. citizens residing outside the country
UOCAVA covers active duty uniformed service members, their eligible family members, and U.S. citizens residing outside the United States.
Question 3: What is the primary function of a Board of Canvassers following a municipal election?
- Recruiting poll workers for future elections
- Reviewing and certifying the official election results (Correct answer)
- Investigating campaign finance violations
- Redrawing precinct boundaries based on election turnout data
Correct answer: Reviewing and certifying the official election results
A Board of Canvassers reviews all ballots, resolves disputes, and certifies the official results of an election to make them legally final.
Question 4: A voter claims to have mailed an absentee ballot but it was not received by the election office by election day. Under most state laws, what happens to that voter's ballot?
- The voter may cast a duplicate ballot in person if they sign an affidavit
- The ballot is not counted because it was not received by the statutory deadline (Correct answer)
- The voter may submit a sworn statement within 10 days for post-election counting
- The election office must search for the ballot at the post office before certifying results
Correct answer: The ballot is not counted because it was not received by the statutory deadline
In most states, absentee ballots must be received by the election office by a statutory deadline; a ballot not received in time is not counted regardless of mailing date.
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for a polling place to turn away a voter?
- The voter is registered in a different precinct
- The voter's registration has been cancelled due to a felony conviction per state law
- The voter refuses to state their political party affiliation (Correct answer)
- The voter cannot provide identification required under state law
Correct answer: The voter refuses to state their political party affiliation
Political party affiliation is a private matter; voters cannot be turned away for refusing to disclose it, as party disclosure is never a prerequisite to vote.
Question 6: What is 'straight-ticket voting' in the context of municipal elections?
- Requiring all candidates in a race to appear on a single-column ballot
- A mechanism allowing voters to vote for all candidates of one party with a single mark (Correct answer)
- A requirement that voters cast votes in every race on the ballot
- A procedure where the top vote-getter in a primary automatically wins the general election
Correct answer: A mechanism allowing voters to vote for all candidates of one party with a single mark
Straight-ticket voting is a ballot option that allows a voter to select all candidates from a single party by making one mark rather than choosing race by race.
Question 7: When a municipal election results in a tie, what is the most common method for resolution under state law?
- A runoff election between the tied candidates
- A coin flip, drawing of lots, or other chance method as specified by statute (Correct answer)
- The incumbent automatically retains the seat
- The governing body appoints one of the tied candidates by majority vote
Correct answer: A coin flip, drawing of lots, or other chance method as specified by statute
Most states resolve election ties through a statutory chance method such as a coin flip, drawing of lots, or similar random process.
CMO Elections & Voter Registration 4
What is a 'write-in' candidate in a municipal election?