CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Voter Registration and Maintenance Questions and Answers

Question 1

Under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which of the following is an impermissible reason for systematically removing a voter from the registration list?

Accepted Answer

The voter has not voted in several consecutive federal elections.

Answer

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 explicitly prohibits removing a voter from the rolls solely for their failure to vote. While inactivity can trigger a process to confirm a voter's status, it cannot be the only reason for removal. Legitimate reasons for removal include the voter's death, a written request from the voter, a change of address outside the jurisdiction, or a disqualifying criminal conviction.

Question 2

An election administrator in a new jurisdiction is tasked with establishing a voter list maintenance program. According to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), what is a core requirement for their voter registration system?

Accepted Answer

It must be a single, uniform, centralized, statewide database.

Answer

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 mandated the creation of a single, centralized, statewide voter registration database in each state to ensure accuracy and prevent issues like voters being registered in multiple counties. This replaced older systems where registration lists were often maintained only at the local or county level.

Question 3

A county election office receives a data file from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). This data is most likely to be used for what purpose in their list maintenance activities?

Accepted Answer

To identify individuals who may have voted in more than one state.

Answer

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is a multi-state partnership that helps member states improve the accuracy of their voter rolls. States use ERIC data by comparing their voter lists with data from other member states and official sources like motor vehicle departments and death records to identify voters who may have moved, died, or have duplicate registrations across states.

Question 4

An election official is processing a batch of returned, undeliverable mail that was sent to registered voters. According to the NVRA, if a voter does not respond to a notice sent to their registered address, what is the next step the official must take before removing the voter from the rolls?

Accepted Answer

Wait for the voter to fail to vote in two consecutive federal general elections.

Answer

Under the NVRA, if a voter fails to respond to a change-of-address notice, the election official cannot immediately remove them. The voter's registration is marked as 'inactive,' and they can only be removed from the rolls if they fail to vote or update their record through the period of the next two federal general elections.

Question 5

Which of the following is a key provision of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) related to the 90-day period immediately preceding a federal election?

Accepted Answer

Systematic, program-based removal of voters from the rolls is prohibited.

Answer

The NVRA establishes a 'quiet period' for the 90 days before a federal election. During this time, states are prohibited from conducting systematic list maintenance programs that remove voters' names from the rolls. Removals can still be made based on individualized reasons, such as a voter's direct request or confirmation of death, but broad purges are not allowed.

CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Practice Test

CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Practice Test

CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Voter Registration and Maintenance Questions and Answers