NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT TRAINING

Narrator: The National Voter Registration Act, also known as NVRA, requires public agencies which provide public assistance or services to persons with disabilities to also provide voter registration opportunities. All DHS programs are required to comply. 	

Adult and Family Services staff is federally mandated to offer voter registration services to applicants and recipients. Not only is it important for our clients to register to vote but if DHS fails to offer the opportunity to register, it could result in substantial penalties for the agency. AFS staff is required to view voter registration training within 30 calendar days of employment and once per calendar year thereafter. 

The National Voter Registration Act was originally implemented in 1995. Due to recent court decisions and legal challenges DHS updated our process. Today's technology allows us to modernize the system and make it more efficient for staff and clients. 

AFS staff is required to offer voter registration to clients every time they have a qualifying event. The AFS staff person that has interaction with the client is the person that must make the voter registration offer. Qualifying events include applying for new AFS benefits or a SNAP certification renewal not initiated through OKDHSLive; a mid-certification renewal or an annual renewal not initiated through OKDHSLive. This includes re-opens after a "36S" closure; or reporting an address change. 

Let's look at this calendar and go over a few examples. A client applies for SNAP on the 10th of the month and voter registration is offered. The client returns to the office on the 20th to apply for Child Care. Voter registration is offered again. The worker offers voter registration on the 10th and the 20th as each application is considered a qualifying event. If the client had made application for both programs at the same time, voter registration would only need to be offered once. 

Here's another example - A client applies for SNAP on the morning of the 10th and is offered voter registration services. That afternoon the client returns to the office to report she has moved. This is a separate qualifying event and voter registration must be offered again. 

Another example would be a client comes in to apply for SNAP on the morning of the 10th. She is offered voter registration services. That afternoon the client returns to the office to report a change in shelter expense. She didn't move but her shelter cost changed. This is not a qualifying event and voter registration does not need to be offered again. 

It's important to remember that voter registration must be offered at each qualifying event regardless of how much or how little time has passed since the person was last offered to register. 

Let's talk about the forms used in the voter registration process. The first form we will look at is the Voter Registration Statement. This form is now available on the Infonet under multiple programs and SNAP. The form has been updated to include the date, case name, case number, County number, and supervisor and worker number. This information is necessary in order for the form to be easily imaged into the correct client's case. This form is used to inform the clients of their voter registration rights and to document the client's response when making a voter registration offer. The client needs to be aware that applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of assistance they will receive and their decision will remain confidential. 

If they decide to register, DHS staff will give or mail them a voter registration application. DHS staff will help them fill out the application if asked, or provide an interpreter if needed. Persons who are offered an opportunity to register to vote should not feel pressured to register or to register with a particular political party. AFS staff must not make any statements or take any actions that lead the client to believe that a decision to register or not to register to vote has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits. 

The Voter Registration Statement also informs the client that they can file a complaint with the Oklahoma State Election Board and provides their contact information. The back of the form is used to document the client's response and signature. The paper Voter Registration Statement is used primarily as a backup when FACS is not available. This may occur when FACS is down, the offer is made at a home visit, or someone without FACS access makes the offer. This form is to be completed in the office, not to be given to the client to take home to complete. 

When a paper Voter Registration Statement is completed, it is to be imaged into the case record under form type voter registration statement. The AFS worker must record the offer and the response by checking the correct boxes in FACS. We'll talk about how to do this later in the video. The Voter Registration Statement should then be sent to Files. This should be processed like any other case document or verification.

Another document used in the voter registration process is the Voter Registration Application, which belongs to the Oklahoma State Election Board. When the client chooses to complete the Voter Registration Application in the office, the worker reviews it for completeness and points out any missing information. DHS is required to offer the same amount of assistance in completing this application as we do in completing DHS forms. Assistance may include reading the instructions and application questions to the client, helping him or her answer the questions, or completing the form for the client. AFS staff informs the client the application will be mailed to the Oklahoma State Election Board. When the client elects to take the Voter Registration Application home to complete, AFS staff has no responsibility to track completion. 

Another form of assistance we provide is mailing the Voter Registration Application to the Oklahoma State Election Board. If a client gives you a completed or partially completed Voter Registration Application, it is the county's responsibility to make sure the application is date- and location-stamped and given to the local voter registration site coordinator the same day.

Now let's talk about recording voter registration offers and responses. Effective November 1st, 2014 FACS and OKDHSLive! were updated to support the automation of the voter registration process. We can now record voter registration offers and the client's responses automatically. Each offer of voter registration should be recorded using FACS or OKDHSLive!. 

To record the offer, open a case in FACS and a dialogue box titled Voter Registration Request will appear. It will ask you to select the type of action you are taking on the case. Your choices are: address change; application or SNAP certification renewal not initiated through OKDHSLive; mid-certification or annual renewal not initiated through OKDHSLive, including re-opens after a 36S closure; application, renewal, or address change, but voter registration process already recorded for this action; and other. 
If you check "application, renewal, or address change, but the voter registration process has already been recorded for this action" or "other," you will not need to record a response and will be taken back to the Case Info tab. If you check "address change," "application or SNAP certification renewal not initiated through OKDHSLive," "mid-certification or annual renewal not initiated through OKDHSLive, including re-opens after a 36S closure," a new dialogue box will appear. This dialogue box is also titled Voter Registration request. To make the offer to the client, ask "If you are not registered to vote where you live now would you like to apply to register to vote here today?" The worker must then record the applicant's or recipient's response before they are able to access other FACS tabs and fields. Possible responses include: Yes (a voter registration application will be mailed); Yes, a voter registration application was provided in person (no voter registration application will be mailed); No (no voter registration application will be mailed); and I do not want to answer the question (a voter registration application will be mailed). 

This screen also includes a link for the worker to access the voter registration statement. Anytime the voter registration offer is made by phone, the workers are to summarize this information and present it to the client, much like the rights and Responsibilities are presented. Regardless of the response, FACS will automatically create a case note documenting the date voter registration services were offered. The case note will read "Voter registration statement completed." In the event an incomplete Voter Registration Statement is received it should be checked as "Yes" so a voter registration application will be mailed to the client. When in doubt it's best to select "Yes" assuming that the client wants to be registered to vote. If the response selected requires a Voter Registration Application be sent to the client, it will automatically be mailed. 

(NO AUDIO)
"The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) is required by federal law to provide voter registration services to persons applying for or renewing benefits and to persons reporting an address change. For this reason, an Oklahoma Voter Registration Application is attached to this notice. 

If you want to register to vote, please complete the Oklahoma Voter Registration form and send it to the Oklahoma State Election Board address on the form.

If you would like help filling out the voter registration application form, we will help you. Please call 1-877-653-4798 for assistance. The decision to seek or acept help is yours.

Applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of assitance that you will be provided by this agency. Your decision will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes."
(NO AUDIO)

Attached to the application will be a cover sheet, which is shown here, listing a telephone number the client may call to obtain assistance in filling out the application. This is an automated process that the worker will not be responsible for. 

OKDHSLive was also updated to support the automation of the voter registration process. Before submitting an application or renewal through OKDHSLive!, the client must answer the question, "If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like to apply to register to vote here today?" The client answers the voter registration question, and electronically signs the form. The client may select "Yes, please mail a voter registration application to the mailing address on this case" or "No." OKDHSLive! enters a case note documenting the date voter registration services were offered. The client has the option to review the Voter Registration Statement prior to answering the question. 

An authorized representative, guardian, family member, or other person acting on behalf of the client cannot agree or decline to register a client to vote. When someone acting on behalf of the client applies, renews benefits, or reports an address change, AFS staff offer voter registration services to that person. For example, Julie Brown applies for SNAP for her mother. AFS staff offers voter registration services to Julie Brown for Julie Brown, not for her mother. AFS staff needs to let Julie know that the voter registration application will be mailed to the address on the case. In this instance the AFS Staff will record the response as "yes" and a voter registration application will be mailed. AFS staff is not required to offer voter registration services to other adult household members. But when requested, additional voter registration applications can be provided. Only one offer per qualifying event is recorded. 

Now, we want to walk you through some scenarios. Let's start with Scenario 1: AFS Staff face-to-face encounter. When the client comes to the county office to complete an application, renewal or change of address and sees a worker, the worker should bring a paper copy of the Voter Registration Statement and the Voter Registration Application with him or her to the face-to-face encounter. The worker will need to address voter registration first, since the voter registration dialogue box appears before the worker is able to go to the other FACS tabs. The worker has the choice to: 1) go over the paper Voter Registration Statement 
with the client and have the client sign the form. Record the client's response in FACS; or 2) read the paraphrased Voter Registration Statement on the second FACS screen. Record the client's response in FACS; or 3) open the link to the Voter Registration Statement in FACS for the client to view. Go over it with the client. Record the client's response in FACS. 

Scenario 2: AFS Staff telephone contact. When the worker completes an interview or client reports a change of address to any AFS staff over the telephone, staff must offer voter registration services. Staff goes over the Voter Registration Offer on the second FACS screen and records the response in FACS, or opens the link to the voter registration statement in FACS, goes over it with the client and records the client's response. When the client states he or she wants to register to vote or does not want to answer the question, the worker informs the client that a Voter Registration Application will be mailed to the client with a cover sheet explaining why the application was mailed. The worker explains that the cover sheet will include a telephone number the client can call if he or she needs help completing the Application.

Scenario 3: AFS staff without FACS access. When a client comes to the office and leaves an application, renewal or address change, Voter Registration Services must be offered. If FACS is not available, the client is offered a paper Voter Registration Statement and AFS staff goes over it with the client. If the client answers "Yes" or "I do not want to answer" give the client a Voter Registration Application and offer assistance in completing. Make a note at the bottom of the Voter Registration Statement documenting if a voter registration application was given to the client. Scan the Voter Registration Statement into the client's case file under form type Voter Registration Statement so the worker can record the response in FACS. 

This concludes the training video. 

If you experience any problems with this process, please open a Remedy Ticket.