FINAL NOVEMBER 2020 GENERAL ELECTION DAY AND EMERGENCY VOTING PLAN 9-16-20.PDF
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary / Info Graphic ............................................................................................................... 3
1.0. Election Day and Emergency Voting Plan .............................................................................................. 4
2.0 Voter Turnout and Wait-time Reduction Plan ......................................................................................... 9
3.0 Communications Plan ............................................................................................................................ 17
4.0 Staffing Plan ........................................................................................................................................... 24
5.0 Training Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 31
6.0 Facilities and Logistics Plan ................................................................................................................... 35
7.0 Central Count and Tabulation Plans ...................................................................................................... 43
8.0 Risk Management and Contigency Plans .............................................................................................. 47
9.0 Election Plan Costs ................................................................................................................................ 51
Appendix A (Training Topics by Roles / Facility Type)………………………………………………………………………………. 52
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1.0 – Election Day and Emergency Voting Plan
The Maricopa County Elections Department’s (Department) Election Day and Emergency Voting Plan
outlines the strategies, constraints and tactics staff will use to prepare for the November General Election
on November 3, 2020. The plan is intended to ensure the Elections Department provides voters with a safe,
reliable, secure, and accessible election and in-person voting option. The plan also informs Maricopa
County voters and other stakeholders on key information and activities so they are prepared to successfully
participate in the election.
To ensure alignment and coordination, the Director of Election Day and Emergency Voting developed this
plan in conjunction with the Early Voting Plan prepared by the Director of Election Services and Early Voting.
The Maricopa County Recorder (Recorder) approved the Early Voting plan for the November General
Election.
1.1 – Maricopa County Elections Department
In June 2019, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (Board) partnered with the Recorder to provide
shared oversight over the Elections Department. The Board appointed a Director of Election Day and
Emergency Voting to oversee the activities for which they are statutorily responsible and to collaboratively
work with the Director of Election Services and Early Voting to manage the Elections Department’s shared
resources. The co-directors are also responsible for ensuring the Elections Department meets voter needs
and that hand-offs between divisions are seamless and operate efficiently. The following chart outlines
assigned responsibilities for the Elections Department.
MARICOPA COUNTY ELECTION DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Director Election Day
& Emergency Voting
(Scott Jarrett)
Shared
Director of Election Services
& Early Voting
(Rey Valenzuela)
• Recruitment & training of Poll
Workers, central boards, and
temporary staff
• Warehouse & Logistics
• Election Day operations
• Emergency Voting operations
• Ballot preparation
• Tabulation
• Transition from Early
Voting to Election Day
• Election Department
Communications
• Candidate Filings
• Uniform and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting
• Special Election Boards
• Signature Verification
• Early Ballot Processing
• Provisional ballot
processing
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1.2 – Maricopa County Elections Mission and Vision
The Maricopa County Elections Department’s mission and vision drive operations and areas of focus. They
help us improve our operations and motivate staff by guiding department strategies and goals.
MISSION
The mission of the Maricopa County Elections Department is to provide Maricopa County voters
with accessible, reliable, secure, transparent, and efficient election services to build public
confidence and trust in the election process.
VISION
Our vision is to promote a culture of service, continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration,
and integrity in every action, strategy, objective, and election process.
1.3 – Planning for the Election and Responding to COVID-19
The Elections Department began planning for the August Primary and November General elections over
twelve months in advance of the elections. Given the impact of COVID-19 and the impact it had on the
March Presidential Preference Election, the Department adjusted plans. The adjustments included moving
from a precinct based in-person voting model to a vote anywhere Vote Center model complemented by a
robust amount of early voting options. The new model will provide safe, accessible, reliable and secure voting
options for Maricopa County voters.
1.3.3 – Safe In-Person Voting Options
The Election Department has developed safety protocols that align with the Center for Disease Control
(CDC) guidelines and in conjunction with recommendations from the Maricopa County Public Health
Department. Due to the rapidly changing information that is emerging on how best to prevent the spread
of COVID-19, the Election Department will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and receive guidance from
health officials in order to implement the most up-to-date safety protocols and cleaning procedures for the
safety of Poll Workers and voters. Key safety protocols that we are implementing include:
-
Physical distancing: All voting locations will be large enough to accommodate physical distancing.
We are separating check-in stations, voting booths, precinct tabulators, and areas for standing in-
line by at least six feet to allow for adequate physical distancing. We will also be providing signage
and markers to implement physical distancing for voters when standing in line outside our Vote
Centers.
-
Protective Safety Supplies: We will be providing all voters with the ability to wear disposable latex
gloves during the check-in and voting process. We will also offer masks for any voter that does not
have a mask and would like a mask when voting in one of our in-person voting locations. Our Poll
Workers will be provided with and required to wear a mask and gloves when working in our voting
locations. We will also provide poll workers with face shields that should be worn when voters are
present in the voting location.
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-
Frequent cleaning and disinfecting: Our cleaning procedures require the cleaning and disinfecting
of high touch surfaces every 30 minutes. If a voter chooses not to wear a mask or gloves during
check-in and while voting, we will immediate clean those surfaces after the voter uses them.
-
Encouraging good hygiene: We will ask Poll Workers to monitor themselves for symptoms (e.g.,
high temperatures, cough, sore throat, loss of taste/smell) and to frequently wash their hands. In
addition to hand sanitizer, we will also have hand washing stations or bathrooms available for
voters and Poll Workers to wash their hands.
1.3.1 – Increased Access to Voting
In the 2016 November General Election voters had one in-person voting option on Election Day. In 2016,
Maricopa County used a precinct model on Election Day where voters are assigned a voting precinct. In
2020, we are increasing the amount of in-person voting options to be between 165 and 175 locations.
These locations will serve as “vote-anywhere” Vote Centers. Voters will be able to choose the location that
is most covenant for them to vote, whether that is close to where they live, work, grocery shop, eat out, or
perform other activities.
In partnership with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, we are also opening most of the Vote Centers
prior to Election Day in a phased approach to significantly expand early voting options. This expansion will
include opening Vote Centers on weekends and during evening hours. The phased opening schedule and
the approximate amount of geographically dispersed Vote Centers is listed below.
Phase 1: 6 Vote Centers (28-day sites) open from 10/7/2020 through 11/3/2020
Phase 2: 44 additional Vote Centers (13-day sites) open from 10/22/2020 through 11/3/2020
Phase 3: 40 additional Vote Centers (7-day sites) open from 10/28/2020 through 11/3/2020
Phase 4: 60 - 70 additional Vote Centers (2-day sites) open on 11/2/2020 and 11/3/2020
Phase 5: 10 – 20 additional Vote Centers (Election Day Only Sites) open on 11/3/2020
The 145 – 160 Vote Centers that open prior to Election Day will be open for weekend voting occurring on
the weekends of October 24th and October 31st /November 1st. A final list of Vote Centers and hours of
operations will be published at Locations.Maricopa.Vote approximately 40 days before the election.
We will also be opening 25 – 35 secure drop box only locations where voters can drop their early ballot off
without having to visit a vote center or their local mail-box. As many as 5 – 10 of these locations will be
drive through drop boxes staffed with poll workers. These drive through locations will allow voters to
deliver their early ballot directly us without having to leave their vehicle. The drive through locations will
be open on Saturday October 24, 2020 and again Saturday October 31, 2020 – Tuesday November 3, 2020.
1.3.2 – Improved Reliability of Voting Options and Operations
The move to a Vote Center model to respond to COVID-19 significantly increases the reliability of voting
options and operations. During the March 17, 2020 Presidential Preference Election, we encountered
challenges with retaining Poll Workers, voting facilities, and obtaining cleaning and safety supplies. The
revised model improves our ability to recruit sufficient amounts of Poll Workers to work at our Vote
Centers. In our outreach efforts, we are including many Poll Workers that are not included in high-risk
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categories as identified by the Center for Disease Control. We will also be hiring 10 -12 Poll Workers per-
site which will allow for the Elections Department to still provide in-person voting options even if 30 – 40
percent of our Poll Workers were absent.
We are establishing lease agreements with vacant retail facilities in areas with patterns of high amounts of
in-person voting. This helps ensure that these facilities will be available in the event of another wave of
COVID-19. We will not be establishing facilities in senior living and other similar locations to minimize the
risk of having to cancel a location as we approach the election.
1.3.4 – Secure Voting Options
The Elections Department maintains a series of strong physical, operational, and network security controls
over voting operations. Security protocols prevent us from describing these control measures in further
detail.
1.4 – November General Election
The November General Election is an election in which voters choose their preference for offices at federal,
state, countywide, local jurisdictions levels of government including United States (U. S.) President, U.S.
Senate, and U. S. House of Representatives. The election will also include ballot measures for statewide,
countywide and local jurisdictions. Each voter will receive only one ballot with all the contests that they
are eligible to vote. Maricopa County will have over 3,000 unique ballot styles for the November General
Election.
1.5 – November General Election Calendar
The critical operational dates for the upcoming November General Election are included in the table below.
These dates will drive election Department planning activities.
AUGUST 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
September 16, 2020
The Board Approves the Election Day and Emergency Voting Plan
September 19 , 2020
Mail ballots to uniformed and oversees voters
September 22, 2020
Launch “Where Do I Vote” Webpage
October 5, 2020
Voter Registration Deadline
October 7– 30, 2020
Early Voting Period
October 27, 2020
Recommended Date to Return Ballot By Mail
Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2020
Emergency Voting
November 3, 2020
Election Day
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1.6 – Emergency Voting
State law gives the Board the authority to authorize the use of emergency voting centers for each election
and requires the Board to specify in a resolution the location of the emergency voting centers and the hours
of operation (see A.R.S. § 16-411(B)(5)). “Emergency” means any unforeseen circumstance that would
prevent the voter from voting at the polls on Election Day. Eligible voters who experience an emergency
between 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election and 5 p.m. on the Monday preceding the election may
vote at an emergency voting center in the manner prescribed by the Board (see A.R.S. § 16-542(H)).
Before receiving a ballot at an emergency voting center, a voter must provide identification. The voter
must also sign a statement under penalty of perjury containing substantially the following language: “I
declare under penalty of perjury that I am experiencing or have experienced an emergency after 5 p.m. on
the Friday immediately preceding the election and before 5 p.m. on the Monday immediately preceding
the election that will prevent me from voting at a polling place on Election Day.” These statements are not
subject to public inspection pursuant to Title 39, Chapter 1, Article 2 (see A.R.S. § 16-542(H); A.R.S. § 16-
246(F)(2)).
Maricopa County’s Emergency Voting plan is to staff 90 - 160 geographically dispersed sites throughout the
County for eligible voters to cast a vote if they experience an emergency. To minimize voter confusion, we
use the same voting locations that are used during early voting as emergency voting locations. The
Elections Department will present the emergency voting locations and hours to the Board for approval
along with the lists of voting locations and Poll Workers in September 2020.
1.7 – Election Department Innovations
In June 2019, the Board approved an additional 26 new full-time positions for the Elections Department
and the lease of a new tabulation system.
The new positions include additional trainers, recruiters, technicians, and leadership roles. With the new
staff, the Elections Department has the resources to implement a continuous improvement philosophy
throughout all operations to support Early and Election Day voting. Specific improvements affecting
Election Day include providing more training and outreach options for Poll Workers, additional supply kits
building checkpoints, and more voter outreach.
The new tabulation equipment will increase how quickly and reliably we can count votes, while also adding
additional layers of security. With the new equipment, we will be introducing a new ballot style that is
easier to vote because it uses ovals rather than arrows.
The Board also approved the purchase of additional ballot-on-demand technology. With over 3,000 unique
ballot styles in Maricopa County, the only efficient way to implement a “vote anywhere” vote center model
was to use ballot-on-demand technology. The August 2020 Primary Election was the first time that the
Election Department expanded the number of vote centers beyond 40. This required we retrofit our
current affidavit printers with tray extenders and laptops to ensure we could accurately provide each voter
with their correct ballot.
The Elections Department has also updated the Locations.Maricopa.Vote webpage to provide voters with
a large array of searchable functionality. Voters can now easily find the vote center that best meets their
needs. Added search functionality include filtering options based on city, address, distance, weekend
voting, and reported or wait-times.
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2.0 – Forecasting Turnout and Reducing Wait Times
To effectively plan for the 2020 November General Election, the Elections Department developed a series
of models to forecast how many potential voters are likely to turn out and vote early or on Election Day.
We used this forecast to determine the amount of voting locations and temporary workers (e.g., Poll
Workers and central boards) that are needed to have a successful election and serve the voters of
Maricopa County. We also use these forecasts to develop strategies to minimize voting location wait-
times.
Recent elections point to a potential historic voter turnout in the November General Election. Prior to
COVID-19, election models estimated approximately 2,000,000 voters would cast a ballot in the General
Election with approximately 211,000 – 313,000 of those voters turning out in-person on Election Day. To
respond to COVID-19, we will be introducing methods to make it as easy as possible for voters to choose
how they want to participate in the November General Election. Part of the methods will include
informing voters of their options to vote early by mail at home, vote early in-person at early Vote Centers,
drop off their ballot at a vote center or drop box location, or vote on Election Day at one of the 165 to
175 vote-anywhere Vote Centers. We are confident that these strategies and voting options will
sufficiently accommodate voter turnout and reduce wait-times to less than 30 minutes on average per
voter. However, wait-times at some sites during peak voting times (e.g., 6am – 9am and 4pm – 7pm on
Election Day) could exceed 30 minutes. In these instances, we will deploy wait-time remediation
strategies to reduce the line.
2.1 – Scope and Objectives
Forecast models include Early Voting and Election Day turnout projections for the November 2020 General
Election. The Wait-Time Reduction Plan focuses on both Early and Election Day voting at Vote Centers and
meets statutory and legal requirements outlined in section 2.1.1 below. The objective for creating a
forecast model and Wait-Time Reduction Plan includes:
•
Create and use a forecast model that provides a reasonable estimation of Early Voting and Election
Day turnout.
•
Use the model to develop Election Day, Emergency Voting, and Early Voting plans to reduce wait
times at voting locations while also considering the constraints (e.g., availability of facilities, supply
of ballot-on-demand technology, supply of protective gear) that COVID-19 introduces into the
Election planning process.
•
Refine the forecast as new information becomes available.
•
Develop a strategy to inform voters of wait-times at each location so they can make informed
decisions on where and when to vote.
2.1.1 – Statutory and Other Requirements
State statute (See A.R.S. § 16-411(J)) requires that counties provide a method to reduce voter wait-time at
the polls. The Arizona Secretary of State defines wait-time as the duration of time from when the voter
arrives in line to the time the voter is provided a ballot or access to an accessible voting device.1
1 Arizona Secretary of State 2019 Elections Procedures Manual (page 166).
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On October 19, 2016, Maricopa County and the Secretary of State entered into a settlement agreement2
with Arizona electors. In the settlement, Maricopa County agreed to develop a Polling Place wait-time
reduction plan for the 2016 General Election and subsequent Primary, General, and Presidential Preference
Elections through 2020.
2.1.2 – Forecast Model Constraints and Considerations
Elections occur infrequently and turnout is largely driven by a product of current events, candidates
involved in the contest, and voter engagement. There are two major factors driving uncertainty in the
forecast models. The first factor being the impact of COVID-19 on voter patterns. The second factor is that
this will be the first November General Election where a “Vote Anywhere” vote center model will be used.
The Vote Center model provides significant advantage for voters to overcome wait-times because they are
no longer assigned to one voting location. Voters can now choose from anyone of 165 – 175 locations. If
a wait-time of more than 30 minutes forms, a voter can visit another convenient location with a shorter
wait-time. However, there is limited historical data available to make predictions on where Maricopa
County voters may choose to vote when they have the option to vote anywhere. To overcome this
limitation we performed our analysis using prior historical in-person voting patterns with regional voting
pattern adjustments based on legislative district voting patterns.
2.2 – Voter Registration Increases
Since August 2018, active registered voters in Maricopa County increased from 2,226,858 to 2,462,268
(10.6 percent). The majority of these new voters have signed up for the Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL).
The chart below shows that the monthly pattern of voter registration increases by party since August 2018.
2 Huerena, et al., v. Reagan, et al., CV2016-007890
789,329
869,703
648,980
777,635
788,549
814,930
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
Aug-18
Sep-18
Oct-18
Nov-18
Dec-18
Jan-19
Feb-19
Mar-19
Apr-19
May-19
Jun-19
Jul-19
Aug-19
Sep-19
Oct-19
Nov-19
Dec-19
Jan-20
Feb-20
Mar-20
Apr-20
May-20
Jun-20
Jul-20
Aug-20
Sep-20
Voter Registration Increases by Party Since August 2018
Republican
Democrat
OTHER (IND, PND, LBT, GRN)
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As of September 5, 2020 there were 2,462,268 active registered voters in Maricopa County, 1,914,713
(77.7 percent) were registered for the PEVL. Since registration activity tends to increase leading up to an
election, we anticipate there will be between 2,506,000 and 2,512,0003 voters actively registered by
October 5, 2020, the voter registration deadline for the November General Election.
2.2.1 Forecast Models
Given that elections are rare and that there are many year-to-year factors that can influence turnout, we
developed three forecast models to estimate turnout. The forecast modes are designed based on the
following five factors outlined in the Secretary of State’s Elections Procedures Manual:
1. Voter turnout from the prior three elections of a similar type;
2. The number of ballots (including regular, early, and provisional) cast in the prior two elections of a
similar type (A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(1));
3. The number of registered voters ( A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(3));
4. The number of registered voters who requested an early ballot or are on the permanent early
voting list (PEVL), ( A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(2));
5. The potential number of ineligible voters that could attempt to vote.
The first model is based on average turnout during the 2012 and 2016 November General Elections, the
most recent General Elections that included the office of President on the ballot. The first model estimates
that total turnout will be approximately 1,822,224, with 289,236 voters turning out on Election Day.
FIRST FORECAST MODEL
Forecast Factor
2012 Nov.
Voters
2016 Nov.
Voters
2020 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
1,801,556
2,158,084
2,512,000
Permanent Early Voter Registration %
44.5%
56.7%
77.8%
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
76.5%
74.4%
75.5%
Total Turnout
1,390,836
1,608,875
1,822,224
Election Day - Eligible Voters Only
430,308
356,769
282,790
Election Day –Provisionals Not Counted
22,840
15,250
6,466
Election Day Turnout (Election Day &
Provisionals Not Counted)
453,148
372,019
289,236
Voters casting an early mail-in ballot in November General Elections and signing up for the Permanent Early
Voting List have steadily increased since 2012. This trend will likely continue, especially with COVID-19
influencing voter’s decisions leading to a decrease in voters choosing to vote in-person on Election Day.
3 As of 9/1/2018, there were 2,187,782 active registered voters in Maricopa County before the General Election.
Low end of range: Leading up to the November 2018 General Election, the average monthly increase was 1.93%,
ranging from 1.8% - 2.05%. As of 9/5/2020, there were 2,462,268 active voters. With one month before the voter
registration deadline, registration could increase between 44,534 (1.8%) and 50,559 (2.05%).
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2.2.2 Second Forecast Model
For planning purposes, we created a second model used the same factors as the first model but based
projections on turnout form the 2008 General Election. The 2008 General Election had the highest turnout
(1,380,571 voters - 79.76%) and participation on record. The second model estimates that total turnout
will be approximately 2,004,614 voters with 313,000 potentially turning out in-person on Election Day.
SECOND FORECAST MODEL
Forecast Factor
2008 Nov.
Voters
2020 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
1,730,866
2,512,000
Permanent Early Voter Registration %
23.5%
77.8%
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
79.76%
79.76%
Total Turnout
1,380,571
2,004,614
Election Day - Eligible Voters Only
620,187
300,692
Election Day –Provisionals Not Counted
29,531
12,853
Election Day Turnout (Election Day &
Provisionals Not Counted)
649,718
313,545
2.2.3 Third Forecast Model
For the third model, we forecasted turnout based on historical non-PEVL registration and in-person turnout
patterns from the 2008, 2012, and 2016 General Elections. By estimating an in-person turnout percentage
based on non-PEVL registration, we can determine a range of potential in-person voters based on projected
non-PEVL registration as of 10/22/2020, the last day to request an early ballot. The third model forecasts
that between 38% and 46% of non-PEVL voters will participate in the November General Election on
Election Day. This provides a range of 211,000 – 256,000 voters will visit a vote center on Election Day.
THRID FORECAST MODEL
Forecast Factor
2008 General
Election
2012 General
Election
2016 General
Election
2020 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Only)
1,730,866
1,801,556
2,158,084
2,512,000
Registered PEVL
395,601
796,303
1,222,829
1,915,152
Registered Non-PEVL
1,335,265
1,021,529
938,887
527,000 – 551,000
Election Day In-Person Turnout
620,187
430,308
356,769
204,000 – 250,000
Election Day In-Person Voters
as a Percent of Non-PEVL Reg.
46.45%
42.12%
38.00%
38% - 46%
Election Day –Provisionals Not
Counted
22,840
22,840
15,250
6,466
Election Day Turnout w/Prov.
453,148
453,148
372,019
211,000 – 256,000
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2.4 – Wait-Time Reduction Plan
Due to challenges presented by COVID-19, the Department is changing from a precinct model to a “vote
anywhere” Vote Center model. One of the primary drivers for this decision is that many of the voting
locations that Maricopa County has used in prior elections will not be viable voting options when
considering safety protocols (e.g., large enough for physical distancing) needed to keep locations as safe as
possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, many of the our traditional locations have declined
to serve as a voting location, not responded to our requests, serve high-risk populations, or are not large
enough to implement physical distancing safety protocols. Despite these challenges and the changes we’re
making to the model, the Elections Department remains committed to limiting wait-times to be under 30
minutes on average for our voters. However, wait-times at some sites during peak voting times (e.g., 6am
– 9am and 4pm – 7pm on Election Day) could exceed 30 minutes. If wait-times exceed 30 minutes at a
location, voters will have the option to visit a nearby or other convenient voting location that has a shorter
wait-time. We will deploy strategies to reduce the line at locations that are experiencing longer than 30-
minute wait-times.
Our first step in planning to reduce wait-times was to use historical information to forecast turnout.
However, voter turnout is only one factor that can cause long lines on Election Day. Other contributing
factors include training, contingency plans, time of day voting patterns, check-in speeds, length of the
ballot, and access to early voting options. The Election Day, Emergency Voting, and Early Voting plans
outline our considerations for forecasting turnout and managing these factors to reduce wait-times and
lines at voting locations. Using both the turnout forecast and lessons learned we are developing plans to
reduce wait-times. Below are some factors and potential bottlenecks that may cause wait-times during the
November 2020 General Election and strategies Maricopa County is implementing to mitigate them.
Expanded Access
To help reduce wait times, we have designed a model to provide voters with expanded in-person voting
options. The vote center model will offer voters 165 – 175 voting options on Election Day. In 2016, voters
were assigned to a specific precinct and offered one voting option on Election Day. In addition to an
expansion of Election Day options, we are also offering more early and emergency voting locations. As
shown in the chart below, voters will have significantly more in-person voting options starting as early as
two weeks before the election.
48
90
90-145
165 - 175
8
14
3
1
0
40
80
120
160
2 Weeks
1 Week
Emergency Voting
Election Day
November General Election
In-Person Voting Options 2020 vs 2016
2016
2020
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Check-in Process
The Elections Department will deploy the use of SiteBooks to check-in voters at all voting locations. The
SiteBook is a voter check-in system, with similar functionality to an electronic poll book referenced in state
statute. They were first introduced in the November 2017 jurisdictional elections. Prior to 2016, Poll
Workers used manual check-in rosters, which slowed down check-in times. The SiteBook provides faster
check-in speeds because it allows for more than two voters to check-in simultaneously at a polling location
and connects directly with the Recorder’s voter registration system, providing an enhanced and
streamlined voter experience. Check-in speeds from recent elections (e.g., 2018 General Election and
March 2020 Presidential Preference Election) average between 90-120 seconds per voter. The SiteBook
check-in terminals guide voters through a series of screens. Voters answer questions, in their choice of
English or Spanish, to establish identity, eligibility, and the correct ballot. With a barcode scan of an ID or
by entering the voter’s name, voters check-in and prove their identity with a Poll Worker. For the ID
requirement, a voter can provide one of the acceptable forms of photo identification, two forms on non-
photo identification, or a permissible combination of one photo and one non-photo identifications.
Vote Centers and Check-in Stations
The County will open between 165 and 175 vote anywhere Vote Center locations on Election Day. The Vote
Centers are regionally dispersed and many will also be open during the 27 day early voting period preceding
Election Day. We plan to open them in the following five phases:
Phase 1: 6 Vote Centers (28-day sites) open from 10/7/2020 through 11/3/2020
Phase 2: 44 additional Vote Centers (13-day sites) open from 10/22/2020 through 11/3/2020
Phase 3: 40 additional Vote Centers (7-day sites) open from 10/28/2020 through 11/3/2020
Phase 4: 60 - 70 additional Vote Centers (2-day sites) open on 11/2/2020 and 11/3/2020
Phase 5: 10 – 20 additional Vote Centers (Election Day Only Sites) open on 11/3/2020
For the 2020 November General Election, we plan to increase the number of check-in stations per location
by 3-times (on average) the amount used during the 2018 November General Election. In 2018, we
provided each voting location with three SiteBook check-in stations. We will equip each voting location
with 9-15 SiteBooks totaling more than 1,700 check-in stations across the county. In 2016, we had two
check-in stations per location.
Time Needed to Vote a Ballot
The length of the ballot or a limited number of voting booths can create wait-times at a voting location.
We have evaluated the time it takes to vote a ballot and established sufficient capacity in our voting
locations to reduce bottlenecks. For the November General Election, we have over 3,000 different ballot
styles to accommodate different voting precincts, splits, and jurisdictions. The majority of ballots will have
between 65 - 75 contests.
On average, we estimate that it will take voters between 10 - 13 minutes to vote the November 2020
General Election ballot. Based on this time estimate and the amount of time we have calculated it takes to
check-in, we can determine how many voting booths we need to eliminate bottle necks in our polling
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locations. We’ve established the following guidelines for implementing physical distancing while also
providing sufficient check-in stations and voting booths to accommodate voters and minimize wait-times.
•
1,800 square footage – 2,499 square footage: 9 SiteBooks / 25 Voting Booths
•
2,500 – 3,500 square feet: 12 SiteBooks / 30 Voting Booths
•
Over 3,500 square feet: 15 SiteBooks / 35 Voting Booths
Provisional Ballots
The Elections Department will work to reduce the number of voters required to vote a provisional ballot in
two ways:
1. We will hire a voter registration clerk for each polling location to assist voters with address and
name changes on the SiteBooks. These are common situations that cause provisional ballots.
2. We will provide 165 - 175 Vote Centers equipped with ballot-on-demand technology and SiteBook
check-in stations to serve as vote anywhere locations. Vote Centers will be geographically
dispersed throughout the county and will provide voters the option to vote at a location that is
most convenient for them, which may be near their work, gym, favorite restaurant or while running
errands.
Poll Worker Training
As described in the Training Plan (Section 5, page 29), the Elections Department will require all Poll Workers
to attend training. We understand temporary Poll Workers live throughout the county and have other
responsibilities, so we plan to offer online training and several locations in-person training options where
inspectors, judges, and voter registration clerks (those responsible for check-in voters) can practice using
our SiteBook check-in equipment. The in-person training sessions, some of them across the county, will
ensure our Poll Workers are prepared. In addition, we will customize our training for the distinct duties of
each Poll Worker and create training manuals that cover the nuances and equipment procedures of every
election. We will post the manual on the Elections Department’s website by September 2020.
Poll Worker Staffing Contingencies
We are hiring an additional 4 – 6 Poll Workers per site for a total of 10 -12 Poll Workers. These additional
Poll Workers will allow for coverage during the two week early voting period and if we encounter
absenteeism due to COIVD-19. The election department could experience 30%-40% absenteeism from Poll
Workers and still be able to provide in-person voting options.
Equipment Support
Poll Workers, Trouble Shooters and Technical Trouble Shooters are trained on solutions to correct problems
in the voting location. We have developed specific SiteBook procedures for checking in voters through an
off-line mode if the virtual private network connection is lost. If a SiteBook terminal becomes inoperable,
Technical Trouble Shooters will be quickly dispatched with a replacement.
Additionally, Trouble Shooters will have access to 5 regionally located supply depots to obtain a back-up
precinct tabulation machine, replacement printer cartridges, and other commonly used supplies in the
event a location’s equipment needs repair.
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Vote Centers are equipped with 2 – 3 high-speed ballot-on-demand printers, creating a much-needed
redundancy to prevent lines in the event one printer needs service or repair.
2.5 – Wait-Time Remediation
For the November General Election, we are implementing a systematic process to monitor wait-time and
respond accordingly. We have programmed our Site Books to calculate wait-times based on the amount of
voters in line. The application is designed to calculate wait-time using a formula based on check-in speeds
and inputs of how many people are in line. We are training our Poll Workers to count voters in line and
report this information on the SiteBook every 15 minutes. The information flows to a workflow logging and
dispatch system monitored by the Elections Department’s Command Center and TroubleShooter hotline.
This information is immediately updated on the Elections Department’s information command center.
Through this system, the Elections Department will have access to real time information about voter wait-
times.
If wait-times exceed 30 minutes, Inspectors or Trouble Shooters will work with Department staff to assess
the cause of the issue or bottle neck. Depending on that assessment, additional resources can be deployed
to provide technical assistance. In addition to this new technology, we are also hiring an extra Poll Worker
for all voting locations on Election Day to assist with monitoring lines and reporting wait times.
The Election Department has also updated the Locations.Maricopa.Vote webpage to report wait-times.
Voters can sort locations by shortest to longest wait-times. We have hired additional Poll Workers to
report wait-times. During the August 2020 Primary, we had an over 83% compliance rate with Poll
Workers reporting wait-times every 15 minutes. If a wait-time does exceed 30 minutes at a specific
location, we use the Election Department’s Social Media Accounts to inform voters of their options. We
will also deploy a team to assist with informing voters standing in line of their voting options.
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3.0 – Communications Plan
This Communication Plan outlines our approach to informing key stakeholders in Maricopa County about
the 2020 November General Election. The purpose of this plan is to establish the communication
requirements for the election and outline how the Elections Department will communicate that
information. The scope of the Communications Plan describes the following:
•
High level messaging about the 2020 November General Election
•
The primary audience and stakeholders for our outreach
•
Our paid and earned media strategy
•
Our Election Day strategy
•
How we will handle sensitive and crisis communications
3.1 – Communications Channels
The public and media can find official communications from the Elections Department through the
following channels:
•
Email – electioninfo@risc.maricopa.gov
•
Website
o English - Maricopa.Vote | BeBallotReady.Vote
o Spanish – Maricopa.Voto | TengaBoletaLista.Voto
•
Phone – (602) 506-1511
•
Social Media
o Maricopa County Elections Department (@MaricopaVote) – Facebook & Twitter
o Maricopa County Recorder’s Office – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
•
Press Releases & Media Alerts
3.2 – Communication Approach & Strategy
It is essential that elections-related communications between all county government and the public are
consistent, accurate, and reliable. The Communications Plan serves as a guide that outlines the Elections
Department’s paid and earned media strategy, crisis communications strategy, as well as events and other
tactics to inform key stakeholders about the 2020 November General Election. In addition, changes or
updates may be required due to reasons such as changes in personnel, scope or budget.
3.2.1 Stakeholders and Audience
Primary audience for the Communications Plan:
•
Maricopa County voters
Additional stakeholders include:
•
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors & Maricopa County Recorder
•
Elections Department and Recorder’s Office staff
•
Temporary staff including Poll Workers and central board workers
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•
Maricopa County jurisdictions (city and town clerks, school districts, fire districts, etc.)
•
Vote Center facility owners and operators
•
Political parties
•
Election-focused advocacy groups
In addition, we continually work to engage with groups about the election process through The Roundtable
Project, hosted by the Recorder’s Community Relations Team. These meetings give groups the opportunity
to provide input to us on how we can provide free, fair, and accessible elections for all eligible Maricopa
County voters. The open forum invites these groups to participate in discussions about how to improve
elections within their communities. The roundtables culminate in a Town Hall. The Early Voting Plan
provides more details on the Roundtable program and other community outreach efforts.
3.2.2 Campaign Messaging Strategy
In light of COVID-19, it is critical that Maricopa County provide voters with a safe and secure primary
election. We understand that now, more than ever, voters need flexibility to choose how they would like
to vote—whether in person or by mail at home.
Our campaign messaging strategy will focus on how Maricopa County is making it easier for voters to
choose how and when they want to vote in the General Election. Communications across all platforms will
inform voters of important election deadlines and provide information about how to safely cast a ballot in-
person or request a ballot in the mail. Transparency, security and trust in election results is critical to the
success of this election. The campaign messaging strategy will also provide the public with information
about ballot tabulation, ballot tracking and the multi-layer oversight of elections. The Elections
Department’s earned media and voter outreach strategy will amplify our #BeBallotReady paid media
strategy by informing voters about their voting options for the 2020 General Election.
3.2.3 BeBallotReady.Vote | Locations.Maricopa.Vote
Maricopa County is making it easier for voters to make choices when it comes to how and when they want
to vote. Our communications strategy will use BeBallotReady.Vote as a tool for voters to prepare for the
General Election. Once Early Voting begins, we will also use a redesigned Locations.Maricopa.Vote as a
search tool for voters to find a voting location near them.
•
BeBallotReady.Vote provides Maricopa County residents with a personalized voter dashboard that
includes everything they need to know to make their vote count. Voters can make changes to
personal voter information, learn about the General Election, find voting locations, sign up for text
alerts, and much more. In short, it's a one-stop shop for voters unlike anything the County has
provided before. Because of the election changes made due to COVID-19, the platform will also
provide video tutorials on frequently asked voter questions to ensure they can successfully
participate in the election. See more about the “Phil in the Blank” video tutorials in the social media
section below.
•
Locations.Maricopa.Vote will provide voters with a searchable tool to find open Vote Centers and
secure ballot drop boxes. We’ve redesigned the page to be mobile friendly and provide voters with
a quick way to not only find a voting location near them, but also see live wait times, search
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locations open on the weekends and much more. Voters can visit this page directly or find it
through their BeBallotReady.Vote dashboard.
3.2.4 Paid Media Strategy
The Elections Department and the Recorder’s Office contracted with Commit Agency through a Contract
Task Order to develop a well-rounded paid media campaign for the November General Election. The
approved budget includes $117,000* for the creative design, production of advertising materials, and other
costs associated with the marketing plan for all mediums in English and Spanish, as well as an estimated
$854,4004* for direct ad buys in both English and Spanish across multiple platforms (television, radio, print,
social media, digital display, and billboards).
This strategy has three phases:
•
Phase 1 (Sept. 8-Oct. 5) – Focuses on the voter registration deadline and informing voters of the
option to vote by mail at home.
“Easily see if you’re registered, request a ballot in the mail and more at BeBallotReady.Vote. It’s safe
& secure! The voter registration deadline is October 5th!”
•
Phase 2 (Oct. 6-Oct. 19) – Focuses on election security and oversight, including ballot tabulation
security, how to track an early ballot and more.
“Our upgraded equipment is certified, accurate, and monitored around the clock. And before your
ballot is counted, we verify every signature to make sure your vote is really you! So whether you
mail it in or drop it off, find out where your ballot is by going to BeBallotReady.Vote, or text “JOIN”
to 628-683.”
•
Phase 3 (Oct. 20-Nov.3) – Focuses on informing voters where they can return an early ballot or
vote safely in-person at any Vote Center, including extended and weekend voting hours.
“Our voting locations may have moved, but the great thing is, you get to decide where to vote. Find
a Vote Center or secure ballot drop box at BeBallotReady.Vote. Some locations are even open in the
evenings and on the weekends.”
3.2.5 Earned Media and Voter Outreach Strategy
The Elections Department’s earned media and voter outreach strategy will amplify our #BeBallotReady paid
media strategy by informing voters about their voting options for the 2020 General Election, including
letting voters know they can vote at any location across the county open from October 7- November 3.
Voters can find Vote Centers and secure ballot drop boxes at Locations.Maricopa.Vote or by calling (602)
506-1511. The strategy will also focus on the Election Department’s efforts to implement physical
distancing and cleaning standards in our voting locations and emphasize the security measures we have in
place to administer a successful election. Earned media tactics in English and Spanish will include:
•
Earned Media Interviews – Our team is available for media interviews in both English and Spanish.
We will inform voters about the Vote Center model, safety standards at our voting locations and
ways Maricopa County is making this election safe, secure and accessible.
4 The budgeted amounts of $117,000 and $854,400 are estimates and subject to change.
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•
November General Election Toolkit – We will create a General Election Toolkit for our jurisdictional
partners, county agencies, media and the public, which will include information about the 2020
General Election, including and FAQ, Election Calendar, participating jurisdictions, social media
graphics and sample posts, early ballot security infographic and a ballot tabulation infographic.
•
Social Media – We will use social media to directly inform Maricopa County voters of their voting
options and respond quickly to changing narratives. Through our @MaricopaVote Facebook and
Twitter pages, the Elections Department will work collaboratively with the Recorder’s Office social
media accounts to amplify our messaging to voters throughout the election cycle. We will also
share our messaging with Maricopa County, Condado Maricopa, and other county partners to
expand our reach.
o Phil in the Blanks Video Series – Because of the election changes due to COVID-19, the
Elections Department is creating a series of informational videos (:60-:90 seconds), with
Phil the Ballot as our guide, where he highlights some of the most asked questions,
intermixing security and oversight into every video. Videos will be posted in English and
Spanish at BeBallotReady.Vote, and provide closed captioning so all audiences can learn
about these important messages.
•
Press Releases on Election Deadlines – We will send out press releases to media on big election
deadlines including voter registration, mail-in ballot requests, mail-in ballot deadlines, voting
locations and dates, Election Day information, and post-election information about election results.
•
Voter Outreach – We plan to do a series of communications directly to voters to inform them of
their voting options.
o Direct Mailers
Ballot by Mail – Outlined in the Early Voting Plan, this mailing will be sent in
September to non-PEVL voters, informing them of their options and providing a
direct way for voters to sign up to vote by mail at home.
Sample Ballot – This mailing, which is required by law, is the direct tool to provide
in-person voters with a sample ballot and inform them of their voting location.
Because Maricopa County is moving to an all Vote Center model, we plan to also
use this mailer as a tool to inform voters where they can find Vote Center locations
and provide information about extended evening and weekend hours available.
o Email Communication – We plan to send a series of emails to voters with email addresses
on file, informing them of the ways they can participate in the election. The emails will
have a graphic with important deadlines, and provide timely information directly to voters.
o Robocalls — In an effort to ensure we meet voters on the platforms they are using, we plan
to round out our voter outreach by calling voters to share information on important
election deadlines.
3.2.6 Election Day Plan
On Election Day, communication will focus on informing voters in English and Spanish about the
information they need to successfully vote. Our paid media #BeBallotReady strategy will continue through
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Election Day. We will have staff available for media interviews and live shots throughout the day. In
addition, we will reach voters through a variety of traditional and social media channels. Election Day
messaging will focus on:
•
Encouraging voters to visit Locations.Marciopa.Vote to take advantage of the wait time feature
•
Identification options needed to vote
•
Voting locations and hours
In addition, we will actively communicate about activity at voting locations when necessary. In order to
ensure the Elections Department is responsive to voters, we are requesting the support of four (4) County
employees with communications and social media experience to support our team on Election Day. These
employees will work with us in our communications team hub located at MCTEC, which is staffed by both
the Elections Department and the Recorder’s Office. Below is an outline of the day’s earned media plan:
•
Press releases
o First thing in the morning, we will send a release to announce Election Day, highlighting
Locations.Maricopa.Vote, voting locations and hours, and what ID you need to vote.
o A final press release once the Elections Department posts initial election results.
•
Social Media
o Monitor social media throughout the day responding promptly to voter questions.
o Post on the Elections Department @MaricopaVote Facebook and Twitter accounts
throughout the day in coordination with the County Recorder’s official social media
accounts focusing on our top line messages and updating voters with wait-times as
appropriate.
•
STAR Call Center
o Work closely with the Maricopa County STAR Call Center to coordinate messaging, train
and educate call-center workers to provide front-line communications to the public. With
our recruitment support, the STAR Center is hiring and training 56 temporary workers to
provide consistent and accurate information to the public on Election Day. Should call
volumes exceed the STAR Center’s capacity, we’ve cross-trained six Election Department
staff members to support when needed.
3.2.7 Crisis Communications Strategy
In an emergency or other crisis on Election Day or during emergency voting, effective and timely
communication will help to ensure voting integrity, public safety and the long-term reliability of the
Elections Department. For the purpose of this plan, a crisis is defined as a significant event or incident that
disrupts – or has the potential to disrupt – Election Day or emergency voting.
All messages will include accurate and detailed information about the situation and what actions to take.
The media also aids in the dissemination of the crisis communication message. The Crisis Communication
Team will ensure that media has access to updated information throughout the crisis incident or event. In
addition, the Director of Election Day and Emergency Voting is responsible for notifying the appropriate
22 | P a g e
members of the county’s senior leadership team and the Board of Supervisors of the status of the incident
and provide ongoing status reports.
The public will seek – and trust – other sources of information (e.g. news reports, social media, rumors, and
word of mouth) in the absence of official communication. Effective communication will help quell rumors,
maintain trust, and ensure public safety. We will convene the Crisis Communications Team as quickly as
possible. Depending on the urgency and severity of the incident or event, this may occur in person or via
phone. Team members include:
•
The Election Directors
•
Assistant Election Directors
•
Elections Department Communication Staff
•
Chief Deputy Recorder
•
Recorder’s Office Public Information Officer
•
The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and County Recorder (as needed or as appropriate)
•
Legal
•
Others may participate based on the specific incident
The Crisis Communication Team will implement some, or all of the steps outlined below based on the
circumstances, coordinating with all key personnel. Throughout a crisis, the team will meet frequently to
review changing facts, assess whether key messages are reaching audiences and determine whether
strategies need to change. In the event of a crisis on Election Day or during emergency voting, final approval
of all communications rests with the Director of Election Day or Emergency Voting.
1. Immediate Response – Based on the severity of the incident and facts available, the Crisis
Communications Team will determine what, if any, public messaging should be sent out and will
ensure public safety and other emergency responders are informed as appropriate.
2. Notifying Key Audiences – The Crisis Communications Team will decide which groups need to be
informed first. Audiences could include:
•
Voters
•
Poll Workers
•
Elections Department and Recorder’s
Office Staff
•
Board of Supervisors
•
County Recorder
•
News Media
•
Jurisdictions
•
Arizona Secretary of State
•
Political Parties
•
Candidates or Campaigns
•
Maricopa County Attorney
•
Arizona Attorney General
•
Maricopa County Sheriff and other state
and local police
•
Arizona Counter Terrorism Information
Center
•
Maricopa County Department of
Emergency Management
•
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
•
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
•
The U.S. Attorney’s Office
3. Determine Spokesperson(s) – This can either be a member of the Crisis Communications Team who
has knowledge of the crisis and is assigned to provide key messages and emerging facts to the
public/media, or an elected official in charge of Maricopa County elections.
23 | P a g e
4. Developing a Fact Sheet – As soon as possible after the incident, a fact sheet will be prepared to
supplement communication with key audiences and information provided to the media by the
spokesperson. Members of the Crisis Communications team will create the Fact Sheet, and those
with a direct knowledge of the crisis will check it for accuracy. Fact sheets released publicly or
posted to the internet must be time stamped and updated as information changes.
5. Informing the STAR Call Center – Once information is known and verified, the Crisis
Communications Team will share messaging details and fact sheets with STAR Center leadership.
6. Alerting the media – The Crisis Communications Team will decide the best ways to communicate
with the media during an incident or event. In cases where a crisis is likely to be prolonged, the
Crisis Communication Team may use the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center
(MCTEC) for media briefings or within a designated location not in view of the official voting
location. We will take into consideration appropriate media staging locations that can
accommodate vehicles such as satellite trucks. Communication with the media must occur as
frequently as the Elections Department verifies new information.
7. Monitoring social media – To anticipate any problems in the flow of accurate communications to
the media and public, the Crisis Communications Team will designate staff to monitor social media
and respond to questions and disinformation immediately and with consistency.
8. Approval of outgoing information – Typically, we develop communications in a collaborative way,
but we recognize the need for decisive decision-making during a crisis to enable rapid, accurate
communication.
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4.0 – Staffing Plan
The Elections Department’s partnership with community volunteers is vital to our success in facilitating
elections. We have a proud history of rapid, high-volume support from the community. Maricopa County’s
Poll Workers are the face of the Elections Department for voters, and voters expect elections services to
be secure and efficient. Our process begins with recruiting adequate numbers of staff for our polling
locations, and hiring temporary workers to support early voting activities, warehouse operations,
equipment management, training and recruitment initiatives. These workers must possess the right mix of
skills, while also ensuring balanced political party representation to support the efficacy of elections
services. Critical to our success is the establishment of and adherence to timelines and schedules that
make the best use of our temporary workers while also ensuring fiscal responsibilities to our taxpayers.
The scope of the Staffing Plan for the General Election includes strategies, constraints, and methods to
recruit:
•
Poll Workers to staff polling locations and Vote Centers for early voting, emergency voting, and
Election Day
•
Central board workers to staff election boards (e.g., early vote processing, duplication boards, hand
count audit boards)
•
Temporary staff for other support operations (e.g., delivery drivers, Vote Center set up teams,
warehouse staff)
•
County permanent staff to support election operations by working at Vote Centers, Ballot Drop-off
Locations, Receiving Centers, supporting setup operations, and providing Election Night support in
the warehouse
4.1 – Staffing Approach and Strategy
The staffing strategy for the General Election considers the hiring landscape during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Recruitment team faces new challenges in confirming a qualified and capable workforce needed to
support a successful election, and has pivoted in several ways to overcome these challenges:
•
Providing a pathway for Poll Workers that worked during the August Primary to come back in
support of the General Election
•
Partnering with the Secretary of State to drive interested parties to the Elections Department’s
dedicated Recruitment Inbox
•
Implementing best-in class poll worker recruitment strategies by partnering with non-partisan
groups such as the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project and healthyelections.org. Organizations
committed to promoting best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure upcoming
elections “proceed with integrity, safety and equal access”
•
Launching a Social Media campaign that celebrates National Poll Worker Recruitment Day –
September 1st, 2020
•
Developing targeted messaging to prospective hires that addresses health and safety concerns
•
Increasing the number of Poll Workers at polling locations to proactively address turnover that
may occur due to COVID-19 and to ensure coverage in larger spaces that facilitate physical
distancing
25 | P a g e
•
Creating positions for temporary Human Resources Administrative Staff dedicated to body
temperature screening of Central Boardworkers working at the MCTEC location to ensure no one
enters the facility with a 100.4 or above temperature
Recruitment for the November General Election will be performed in the following phases:
•
Phase 1 (Beginning the week of August 24th) – Hire 1,800 Poll Workers to staff approximately 170
polling locations. Most locations will be staffed by 10 Poll Workers to include one Inspector, two
Judges, a Marshal, a Voter Registration Clerk, and five Clerks, with at least one employee proficient
in communicating with voters in English and Spanish. For larger locations that can accommodate
12 -15 SiteBook Check-In stations, we will increase the size of the board to 12 Poll Workers, adding
additional clerk positions to more efficiently assist with issuing ballots and coordinating line
management to accommodate larger numbers of voters. Recruiters will confirm Poll Workers are
capable of performing role-specific duties, provide necessary paperwork to support the hiring
process, and schedule Poll Workers to attend training designed to model a safe, secure, and high-
quality voter experience.
•
Phase 2 (Week of August 31st) – Hire 40 temporary workers to support elections operations: T-
Techs, Vote Center Setup Workers, Signature Verification, Special Elections Boards, and
Recruitment support.
•
Phase 3 (Week of September 14th) – Hire 25 temporary workers to support elections operations:
additional Signature Verification and Special Elections Boards support as well as Training
Operations support. We will also hire 12 Call Center temporary workers to support the first wave
at the STAR Call Center.
•
Phase 4 (Week of September 28th) - Hire 14 Drivers/Warehouse Workers and 24 Call Center
temporary workers for the second wave at the STAR Call Center.
•
Phase 5 (Week of October 5th) – Hire 31 temporary workers to support elections operations: Vote
Center Workers, T-Techs, Ballot Couriers, and Ballot Processors. We will also hire 12 additional Call
Center temporary workers to support the third wave at the STAR Call Center.
•
Phase 6 (Week of October 12th) – Hire 143 temporary workers to support elections operations:
Mail and Ballot Runners, Drivers/Warehouse Workers, Ballot Processors, and Troubleshooter
Hotline Operators. We will also hire 12 additional Call Center temporary workers to support the
fourth and final wave of workers at the STAR Call Center.
•
Phase 7 (Week of October 19th) – Hire 80 temporary workers to support elections operations: T-
Techs, Ballot Couriers, Adjudication Boards, Ballot Tabulation Center Operators and Ballot
Tabulation Inspectors.
•
Phase 8 (Late October) – Hire 110 temporary workers, most from other County Departments, to
support elections operations: Vote Center Setup Workers, IT Support, Ballot Drop-Off Site
Managers, Receiving Site Managers, and Elections Night Warehouse Support (Red Line/Blue Line
Workers).
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Recruiters will rely on a variety of resources to obtain the necessary workers for the Primary Election. These
resources include: prior Poll Worker pipelines, partnership with the State of Arizona Departments, outreach
campaigns to County employees, support from staffing firms, job board advertising, community
partnerships, recruitment fairs, Deputy Registrar events, and Political Party referrals. The Elections
Department will track recruitment efforts using our proprietary Poll Worker database, and recruiters will
provide weekly progress reports on challenges to staffing and adherence to schedule and timeline.
Temporary workers performing duties at the Elections Department or STAR Call Center will be processed
for background checks if this is their first time working for these departments.
The Recruitment and Training teams meet regularly to cross-functionally share observations and data in
support of continual improvement of the Recruitment process. This heightened communication results in
increased Poll Worker job fitting for future elections. Additionally, the Training Team members act as
Hotline Operators during periods of heavy call volume, allowing these team members to assess issues and
challenges at polling locations that may be mitigated through improvements in Poll Worker Recruitment.
4.2 – Statutory Requirements Pursuant to Staffing
A.R.S. § 16-531 specifies a requirement to appoint [hire] “one inspector, one marshal, two judges, and as
many clerks of election as deemed necessary” not less than twenty days before an election. These
individuals, per statute, “shall be qualified voters of the precinct for which appointed,” and as far as
inspector, marshal, and judges are concerned, “shall not have changed their political party affiliation or
their no party preference affiliation since the last preceding general election.” Furthermore, “if they are
members of the two political parties that cast the highest number of votes in the state at the last preceding
general election, they shall be divided equally between these two parties. There shall be an equal number
of inspectors in the various precincts in the county who are members of the two largest political parties. In
each precinct where the inspector is a member of one of the two largest political parties, the marshal in
that precinct shall be a member of the other of the two largest political parties.” Finally, “any registered
voter in the election precinct…may be appointed [hired] as a clerk.”
This statute also specifies “wherever possible, any person appointed as an inspector shall have had previous
experience as an inspector, judge, marshal or clerk of elections.”
4.3 – Temporary Staffing Roles, Quantities, and Pay Rates
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-536, “The compensation of the election officers shall be fixed by the board of
supervisors and shall be a county charge. In no case shall an election board member be paid less than thirty
dollars per day.
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* These positions will support both early voting and Election Day
4.4 – Staffing Contingencies and Work Load Balancing
Given how important these temporary workers are to ongoing operations, we’re deploying contingency
recruiting strategies in the event some Poll Workers and temporary staff cannot perform their role or duty.
To ensure we have sufficient Poll Workers to staff the polling location, we are hiring an additional 30 back
up inspectors that can be re-deployed on Election Day if a Poll Worker is absent. With the 10 Poll Workers
per site, we can also overcome an absenteeism of 30 – 40%.
Role
Total
Pay Rate/hour
Temporary Recruiters
2
$15.14
Temporary Training Coordinators
3
$15.00
Temporary Human Resources Staff
3
$15.00
Inspectors *
170
$13.00
Judges*
340
$12.50
Voter Registration Clerks*
170
$12.50
Marshals*
170
$12.00
Clerks*
850
$12.00
Temporary UOCAVA Clerks
6
$12.00
Temporary Ballot Processors
100
$12.00
Temporary Signature Verification Clerks
26
$12.00
Temporary Mail Couriers
7
$12.00
Temporary Ballot Couriers
23
$13.00
Temporary Warehouse Drivers*
29
$13.00
Temporary Grips*
15
$13.00
Temporary Auditors*
10
$13.00
Temporary T-Techs*
26
$15.00
Temporary T-Tech Leads*
4
$17.00
County Employees – Election Day
150
$15.00
Temporary Troubleshooters
55
$15.00
Temporary Hotline Operators
6
$15.00
Temporary Adjudication Boards
48
$12.00
Hand Count Boards (Recruited by political parties)
70
$12.00
Temporary Star Call Center Employees (recruited by Star Call Center)
56
$15.00
Total
2339
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4.5 – Temporary Staffing Job Responsibilities
Job Title
Responsibilities
Temporary
Recruiter
Temporary Recruiter will source, screen, hire and schedule Poll Workers for assignments at
either Election Day Polling Locations or Vote Centers. They will also be responsible for filing
paperwork and completing data entry in support of payroll functions.
Temporary Training
Coordinators
Temporary Training Coordinators will prepare and distribute class materials and assist with
hands-on instruction on the set-up, use, and breakdown of Election equipment.
Coordinators will also assist Poll Workers in troubleshooting online training issues and
answering emails in the Training Inbox.
Temporary Human
Resources Staff
Perform temperature screening function for all temporary workers reporting to MCTEC
building. Assist with tracking of clock-in and clock-out times for these workers.
Poll Worker:
Inspector
The Inspector is the Team Leader at the Polling Location or Vote Center, and as such, the
Inspector is responsible for delegating the tasks of other Poll Workers, ensuring workers
clock in and out properly, and providing assistance to voters. The Inspector is responsible
for making sure that each and every voter is able to cast their ballot privately and securely.
Poll Worker: Judge
The Judge is the backup for the Inspector, and therefore is charged with the same
responsibilities as the Inspector. Along with assisting voters with the check-in process, the
Judge supports Curbside Voting and use of Accessible Voting Devices, and monitors the
Ballot Drop-Off and Tabulation.
Poll Worker:
Marshal
The Marshal is responsible for preserving order at the polls, most specifically with regard to
line management during high-volume cycles. The Marshal is responsible for maintaining
order at the polls and ensuring the opening of the polls and the completion of activities at
the end of the day. In coordination with the Line Management Clerk, the Marshal measures
the length of wait times throughout the day and may also perform the duties of other Poll
Workers on a relief basis.
Poll Worker: Voter
Registration Clerk
The Voter Registration Clerk assists the Voter in updating their name or address in the
Sitebook as needed. They may also assist the Inspector or Judge in verifying the voter
possesses the required acceptable identification. The Voter Registration Clerks shall be
certified as having completed and mastered a training curriculum approved by the
Recorder’s Office due to their access to live voter registration information via the SiteBook.
Poll Worker: Clerk
Clerks are responsible for providing voters with the correct ballot. This is done by confirming
specific information on the ballot, and in some cases (Early Voting, Emergency Voting,
Provisional Ballots) matching information on the ballot to information on an affidavit
envelope. In the case of Vote Centers using Ballot On Demand (BOD) capabilities, the clerk
retrieves a printed ballot from a BOD printer, confirms the information on the ballot matches
the voter’s BOD code, and if necessary the code on the affidavit envelope, and presents
these items to the voter. When not manning the Ballot Pick-Up Area, clerks are responsible
for sanitation of all equipment at the polling location to limit the spread of COVID-19. Clerks
will also report wait times using the Sitebook during high-volume periods.
Temporary
UOCAVA Clerk
UOCAVA Clerks support the mission of the Uniformed & Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act. Duties include assisting overseas voters in registering to vote, requesting an early ballot,
and voting a ballot via a secure portal.
Temporary Ballot
Processors
Ballot Processors work in teams of two, or Boards, and they must be of a different political
party. Ballot processors open, verify ballots are for the correct election, and stack ballots for
delivery to the Ballot Tabulation Center.
Temporary
Signature
Verification Clerks
Signature Verification Clerks are responsible for verifying that signatures on affidavit
envelopes match voters’ signatures on record. They may use forensic techniques to analyze
signatures, and they may also perform other research such as contacting voters directly to
ensure the efficacy of mail-in ballot processing.
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Job Title
Responsibilities
Temporary Mail
Couriers
Mail Couriers are responsible for making postal runs, picking up printed items from Runbeck
Elections Services, and using electronic mail opening machinery to open ballots en masse
prior to ballot processing.
Temporary Ballot
Couriers
The Elections Department utilizes Ballot Couriers to retrieve ballots from Ballot Drop Boxes
and securely deliver them to MCTEC for processing. Ballot Couriers must complete a chain-
of-custody form that is signed by a Polling Location or Vote Center Inspector to ensure the
lawful hand-off and transportation of ballots.
Temporary
Warehouse Drivers
Temporary Warehouse Drivers are responsible for operating a fleet of 16’ box-trucks with
lift gates. Drivers transport equipment and items to and from Polling Locations and Vote
Centers. Warehouse Drivers may also support other warehouse functions such as checking
equipment in and out, lifting and stacking inventory, and general warehouse maintenance.
Temporary Set-Up
Team Members (T-
Techs, Grips,
Auditors)
The Elections Department establishes set-up teams that work in coordination with Poll
Workers to set up Vote Centers and Polling Locations prior to opening for Election Activities.
Some Set-Up Team Members will support troubleshooting efforts throughout the election
cycle and may support equipment security and retrieval activities at the close of Election
Day.
Temporary Hotline
Operators
Hotline Responders are staffed at the MCTEC Warehouse Command Center and are
responsible for responding to issues and questions that may arise via phone or radio during
an Election cycle. Hotline Responders must be Elections Subject Matter Experts as they must
deliver critical information to voters, Poll Workers, and other Elections Support Staff under
tight timelines and during high-volume cycles.
Temporary
Duplication Boards
Duplication Boards, pairs of two from different political party affiliations, make every
attempt to determine voter intent, when in question, due to stray marks or other issues on
the ballot that may make accurate tabulation of a ballot impossible. Through a duplication
process, these bipartisan teams ensure that the voter’s clear intent is reflected on the ballot
which is tabulated.
Temporary Star Call
Center Employees
Temporary Star Call Center Employees are responsible for responding to Elections-specific
questions from voters. These employees possess Elections Subject Matter Expertise and
deliver critical information to voters during high-volume cycles.
4.6 -- Administrative and Payroll Support
Department and Recorder’s Office Human Resources Liaisons, in coordination with Maricopa County
Central Human Resources, provide critical support in determining temporary staff eligibility to work,
facilitating payroll processing, and providing mileage reimbursement to temporary staff that use their
personal vehicles on official elections business.
•
Eligibility to Work: Each temporary employee must provide a copy of the appropriate
documentation to Human Resources to confirm their eligibility to work in the United States. Central
Board Workers must also pass a standard criminal background investigation to obtain badge
credentials that allow them to securely enter the MCTEC facility.
•
Payroll Processing: A coordinated effort between the Elections Recruitment Staff, Elections and
Recorders Human Resources Liaisons, and County Payroll allows the Elections Department to
provide pay to Poll Workers in one lump sum at the completion of an election. Central Board
Workers may be paid through the County’s ADP system, allowing for bi-weekly pay for longer-term
employment.
•
Mileage Reimbursement: Department staff work directly with temporary employees that utilize
personal vehicles for official elections business, tracking and documenting mileage in compliance
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with Maricopa County General Travel Policy A2313. Mileage Reimbursement forms are submitted
to County payroll for processing of reimbursements to temporary employees.
4.7 – Deliverables and Performance Metrics
Staffing deliverables provide Performance Data that will shape future models. These include:
•
Weekly tabulation of metrics related to hire-by-source. The Elections Department has leveraged
support from County Procurement to increase our cadre of temporary staffing resources. We are
currently partnering with four temporary staffing firms to provide quick-turn solutions for high-
quantity/high-quality resources. We will be tracking placements by source to better understand
the capabilities of these firms, and data will be shared back to Procurement leaders.
•
Poll Worker rosters showing assigned role, party registration status, polling location assignment
and training status
•
Weekly staffing updates showing recruitment status for each phase and position
•
Monthly performance data analytic reports will utilize dashboard formats (red, yellow, and green
shading) to identify:
o Successful hire rates based on recruiting sources
o Drop-Out rates based on recruiting sources
o Areas needing additional resources or innovative measures to overcome challenges
•
Surveys (temporary worker and hiring manager)
•
After Action – Recruitment Lessons Learned report
4.8 – Staffing Schedule
General Election Staffing Schedule
Staffing Phase 1
8/24/2020 – 8/30/2020
Staffing Phase 2
8/31/2020 – 9/13/2020
Staffing Phase 3
9/14/2020 – 9/27/2020
Staffing Phase 4
9/28/2020 – 10/4/2020
Staffing Phase 5
10/5/2020 – 10/11/2020
Staffing Phase 6
10/12/2020 – 10/18/2020
Staffing Phase 7
10/19/2020 – 10/23/2020
Staffing Phase 8
10/20/2020 – 11/2/2020
Temporary Worker Survey Distributed
11/30/2020
Hiring Manager Survey Distributed
11/30/2020
After Action - Recruitment Lessons Learned Meeting
11/16/2020
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5.0 – Training Plan
The Elections Department’s training plan for the General Election establishes the framework for ensuring
temporary staff (e.g., Poll Workers, Troubleshooters) are trained to perform their assigned roles and
responsibilities to serve Maricopa County voters. Training is an essential element to ensuring elections are
conducted with integrity, efficiency, reliability, and in accordance with federal and state laws.
The scope of the Training Plan describes the Elections Department’s approach to providing specialized
training for the temporary workers that will support the General Election:
•
Approximately 1,700 Poll Workers will staff approximately 170 polling locations to serve as
Inspectors, Judges, Marshals, Voter Registration Clerks, and Clerks
•
55 Troubleshooters will receive training from both the Poll Worker curriculum as well as curriculum
identified by the Vote Center Manager focusing on more complex issues related to Elections
equipment
5.1 – Training Approach & Strategy
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-532, the Elections Department “shall conduct a class for the instruction of inspectors
and judges…in their duties, which shall include instruction in the voting system to be used and the election
laws applicable to such election. Each election board member receiving instructions and properly qualified
shall receive a certificate of qualification. Only inspectors and judges of the election board who have
received the required instruction class shall serve at any election…Other members of the election board
may be trained at the same time.”
The Elections Department’s training plan for the General Election considers adjustments necessary to
provide appropriate training during the COVID-19 pandemic and specifies the following objectives:
•
Establish a training curriculum that limits exposure to COVID-19.
o Redesign training curriculum to deliver 80% of training online via the County’s Learning
Management System, TheHUB.
o Limit in-person training sessions to no more than 10 participants and two Trainers.
o Focus in-person training sessions on setup, use, and breakdown of Election equipment
and sanitary procedures, thereby reducing the amount of in-person contact required of
Poll Workers for optimum learning.
o Develop an online skills assessment in tandem with online training modules to ensure Poll
Workers are ready to perform the tasks required of them by Arizona State Statute, the
Secretary of State Elections Manual, and Department policies and procedures.
•
Develop informative, consistent, and accessible training sessions in order to ensure temporary
workers have the information they need to perform their roles successfully and ample
opportunities to attend training. This includes offering training sessions in Central Phoenix and
surrounding communities in the East, North and West Valley.
•
Train Poll Workers to maintain strict cleanliness standards to limit the spread of COVID-19 during
Elections, deliver in-person training sessions utilizing required PPE designated as a condition of
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employment under the guidance of the Maricopa County Public Health Department and following
CDC guidelines, and deliberately enforce these guidelines during training to ensure the safety of
Poll Workers and Training Staff during in-person training sessions.
•
Collect and analyze Poll Worker satisfaction data to measure and build relationships with
temporary workers and develop reliable talent pipelines and job fitting strategies.
5.2 – Training Methodology
Temporary workers play a critical role in helping the Elections Department meet the resource needs
required to conduct an election. We are dedicated to providing staff with the knowledge and skills to
overcome the challenges they may experience while working at a voting location. We have a team of
trainers and subject matter experts that will provide the temporary workforce with appropriate training to
prepare them for their assignments. Factors that will be addressed include varied learning styles, statutory
training requirements, and the high numbers of temporary staff that need training in a short period of time.
Specific methodologies and curriculum are described in further detail below.
5.2.1 – Poll Worker Training
Voters expect the Elections Department to conduct elections with integrity and efficiency, but they also
expect to receive a high-level of customer service. If voting in-person, a voter’s experience is directly
correlated with the level of expertise and customer service exhibited by the Poll Workers staffing our polling
locations. For the General Election, the Elections Department will hire and train approximately 1,700 staff
to work at approximately 170 Vote Centers.
Successfully manning a Polling Location requires a difficult mix of soft skills, like customer service and de-
escalation techniques, as well as technical, analysis, and problem-solving skills. Elections Department
Trainers must find unique ways to impart these skills in a format that is both interesting and time efficient.
Arizona State Statute requires specific Poll Workers to take training every time they serve, leading to a large
number of Poll Workers returning again and again to attend training. For these learners, we must hit
required training marks as well as education on changes in laws and practice. The Elections Department
also hires Poll Workers that are new to serving, and for these learners, capacity is the challenge. Trainers
must identify the most important areas of learning before each Election, and provide as many high-quality
resources and job aids as possible that can be accessed up to and include Election Day.
In an effort to continually improve the learning experience and increase knowledge retention, the Training
Team will require all Poll Workers to complete an interactive, web-based, role specific curriculum featuring
multiple sessions of study. Returning Poll Workers that just served in the August Primary Election will likely
take the entirety of their learning via web-based portal. Exceptions include those that served as Clerks in
the Primary, but hired into a new role for the General Election. Those that did not serve in the August
Primary, and have been hired into the role of Inspector, Judge, Marshal, or Voter Registration Clerk, will
receive hands-on training in a training space that models the Polling Location experience in addition to their
online learning. Those serving as Clerks in the General Election, whether they served in the August Primary
or not, will take the entirety of their training online.
Each Poll Worker will complete an online assessment at the conclusion of their web-based learning to
ensure they are capable of meeting their responsibilities as a Poll Worker. A score of 80% or better will be
required for each Poll Worker to be fully hired for Day 1 of service. We will offer Poll Workers multiple
opportunities to retake the web-based training and assessment to obtain a passing score.
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We anticipate Poll Workers will spend approximately four hours in learning sessions, either online or in
tandem with in-person instruction, and strict attendance data will be kept to ensure all Poll Workers have
completed the required training. Those receiving in-person instruction will have the opportunity to attend
a session in one of five locations around the Valley, with no more than 10 attendees in each session. The
table below shows the Poll Worker positions receiving hands-on instruction and number of training sessions
offered.
Poll Worker Role
Approximate
Number of Workers
Estimated
Start Date
In-Person Training Dates
Inspector
6
E-27 (10/7)
9/22 – 10/6; 50 sessions available
Inspector
50
E-13 (10/21)
9/22 – 10/19; 104 sessions available
Inspector
40
E-7 (10/28)
9/28 – 10/27; 125 sessions available
Inspector
74
E-1 (11/2)
10/2 – 10/30; 127 sessions available
Judge
12
E-27 (10/7)
9/22 – 10/6; 50 sessions available
Judge
100
E-13 (10/21)
9/22 – 10/19; 104 sessions available
Judge
80
E-7 (10/28)
9/28 – 10/27; 125 sessions available
Judge
148
E-1 (11/2)
10/2 – 10/30; 127 sessions available
Marshal
6
E-27 (10/7)
9/22 – 10/6; 50 sessions available
Marshal
50
E-13 (10/21)
9/22 – 10/19; 104 sessions available
Marshal
40
E-7 (10/28)
9/28 – 10/27; 125 sessions available
Marshal
74
E-1 (11/2)
10/2 – 10/30; 127 sessions available
Voter Registration Clerk
6
E-27 (10/7)
9/22 – 10/6; 50 sessions available
Voter Registration Clerk
50
E-13 (10/21)
9/22 – 10/19; 104 sessions available
Voter Registration Clerk
40
E-7 (10/28)
9/28 – 10/27; 125 sessions available
Voter Registration Clerk
74
E-1 (11/2)
10/2 – 10/30; 127 sessions available
850
155 sessions available
Given the need for social distancing, the Elections Department’s Early Voting teams will be spreading out
throughout the building, allowing those temporary employees enough safe space to work. Spaces usually
dedicated for training will be needed for our Early Voting teams. This has opened up a unique opportunity
for the Training Team to deliver most of its in-person instruction in retail spaces acquired for use as polling
locations. Many of our learners will have the opportunity to train and practice using Elections equipment
in a facility that has been outfitted as a Vote Center. When these spaces convert over to active voting
locations on October 21st, the Training Team will hold the rest of its in-person sessions at spaces provided
by the Maricopa County Flood Control District (FCD) and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
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These spaces will also be outfitted as “sandbox” polling locations. We are excited to offer this immersive
learning environment as part of the training strategy for the General Election.
Poll Workers will be expected to demonstrate job readiness by passing specific course assessments
delivered by the training team prior to their first day at the polls. A high-level summary of training topics
covered in the General Election curriculum follows:
•
Review of Election Laws and Procedures including standard voting procedures, updates to election
laws and procedures, and issuance of ballot types/styles
•
Election Specific Training including an understanding of the contests on a General Election ballot
and critical dates associated with registration, Early voting, mail-in balloting, Emergency Voting,
and Election Day
•
Training on Opening and Closing Duties including voting location hours of operation, Poll Worker
hours, clocking in and out for duty, verifying duties to be performed, equipment setup and closing,
furniture arrangement, inventory of supplies, signage placement, preparation of official and
unofficial envelope contents, and Election Night Drop Off Procedures
•
Role-Specific Training (see Appendix A, page 50)
•
Review and hands-on training setting up, using, and breaking down Polling Equipment including
BOD, Accessible Voting Device, Tabulator, SiteBook, and Voting Booths
•
Customer Service Training including accessible/curbside voting procedures, assisting differently-
abled voters, and teamwork strategies
•
Voter Check-In including required ID training and use of the Sitebook to update a voter’s name and
address
•
Safety and Sanitation Procedures including standards of cleanliness, use of PPE, Poll Worker and
voting location safety, and situational awareness techniques. This includes the use of the
Emergency Power Outage and MoFi Disconnection Procedures
•
Troubleshooting including when and how to implement wait-time reduction, contacting a
Troubleshooter for technical support, and basic equipment support
•
Supplemental Training for Inspectors and Judges including “how to” strategies for conducting a pre-
election meeting with Poll Workers, ensuring political party representation among Poll Workers,
gaining building access and developing relationships with building stewards, monitoring envelope
drop boxes, the provisional ballot process, spoiling ballots, and transmitting results and/or delivery
of voted ballots and Tabulator Memory (SD) Cards
•
Supplemental Training for Clerks and Marshals including using Sitebooks to report wait-times
•
Supplemental Training for Voter Registration Clerks including training designed by the Maricopa
County Recorder
•
Supplemental Training for Bi-Lingual Poll Workers starts with verifying Spanish language proficiency
and includes preparation materials in English and in Spanish to assist bilingual Poll Workers in using
elections-specific verbiage and terminology when assisting Spanish-speaking voters
•
Emergency Voting Training including the awareness of voter affirmations using a customized
affidavit envelope
•
Supplemental Micro-Learning for All Poll Workers focused on the Ballot Tabulation process to
provide Poll Workers with a better understanding of their role in closing out on Election Night and
the importance of returning all results and ballots to the designated Receiving Site
Specific role-based training topics by role and type of voting location are included in Appendix (A).
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6.0 – Facilities and Logistics Plan
The Elections Department’s Facilities and Logistics plan for the November General Election establishes the
framework for ensuring that Maricopa County voters have a safe, reliable, and accessible in-person voting
option for Early Voting, Emergency Voting and on Election Day.
The Facilities and Logistics plan describes our approach to providing adequate facilities and efficient
logistics support for the 2020 November General election. The Elections Department will offer in-person
voting options at approximately 165 -175 geographically dispersed locations that are compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We will also be providing 25 – 25 drop box only locations throughout
the County. The Logistics and Warehouse teams support Early Voting, Emergency Voting, and Election Day
operations and their objectives are to provide the following activities:
•
Ensuring that an estimated 180 full time and temporary logistics (e.g., facility relations, ballot
couriers, hotline call center, and troubleshooters) and warehouse (e.g., drivers, inventory
specialists, and warehouse) staff are hired, trained and proficient on all assigned tasks and
functions in preparation for the General Election.
•
Acquiring, inspecting, setting up, and supporting Vote Centers.
•
Preparing, packaging, securing, delivering, and recovering sufficient and fully functional supplies,
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), voting materials, equipment, and technology to ensure
voting locations are prepared to serve voters.
6.1 – Facilities Management Approach and Strategy
The facilities management planning cycle starts approximately 160 days before the election and includes
regular communication with facilities owners and administrators to keep them apprised of available dates
and facility conditions. To help ease the voting experience, we attempt to use the same voting locations
from election to election. However, due to constraints (e.g., facility availability, construction, inspection
compliance, and specific election requirements) we cannot always adhere to this approach.
As described in the Voter Turnout and Wait-Time Reduction Plans (Section 2.0, page 9), we determined that
between 165-175 Vote Centers are needed for the 2020 November General Election. A final list will be
published at Locations.Maricopa.Vote approximately 40 days before the election. Tasks related to
managing facilities include:
•
Establishing the layout and flow for each type of voting location (see section 6.1.1)
•
Ensuring that each layout is compliant with physical distancing guidelines established in
partnership with the County Department of Public Health and recommended by the CDC
•
Performing inspections and ensuring locations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (see
section 6.1.2)
•
Transitioning from early voting and emergency voting to election day (see section 6.1.3)
•
Acquiring and contracting with voting facilities (see section 6.1.4)
•
Setting up facilities and supporting ongoing operations (see section 6.2)
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6.1.1 Election Day Voting Locations
Voting Location and Setup
For the November General election, in person voters will have the option to vote from any one of 165-175
geographically dispersed Vote Centers. All Election Day sites will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in
accordance with statutory guidance established in Title 16 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.
The November General Election Vote Center will comply with safety protocols established in partnership
with the County Public Health Department to align with Center for Disease Control guidelines. All voter
check-in stations and voting booths will physically distanced from one another and floor markings will assist
in person voters with maintaining the appropriate physical distancing requirements.
The new all Vote Center model will default to a nine check-in station layout with the built in redundancy of
three ballot on demand printers and 25 voting booths. The flow of the Vote Centers will be established in
a manner that reduces unnecessary foot traffic and keeps voter flow fluid. Distancing markers will be
placed at potential bottleneck areas and closely monitored by on site Poll Workers to avoid flow disruption.
If safe and practical, this Vote Center layout may be scaled up for much larger venues. In these situations,
a 12 check in station and 25 voting booth layout or 15 check-in station 30 voting booth model will be used.
The layout diagrams below are to be used as our default layout and will provide a general understanding
of voter flow and equipment placement. Not all locations will have this layout, but setup teams are trained
to standardize setup to establish safe and efficient polling locations.
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The new all Vote Center model will provide Maricopa County voters the ability to vote outside their
designated precinct by using Ballot-On-Demand (BOD) and Site Book technology. In order to efficiently
expand this capability from 40 Vote Centers to 160 – 170 Vote Centers, we modified our existing fleet of
envelope printers into high capacity ballot printers. This is accomplished through a firmware update to the
printers and the addition of a driving laptop to manage the job load. An added high capacity feeder (as
pictured below) and scalable extender will hold the 19” x 8 ½” ballots that would normally not fit in the
small manufacturer provided paper feeder. A comprehensive stress test was completed to thoroughly
understand capacity and identify best courses of action should an issue occur while deployed in the field.
6.1.2 Facility Inspections and Accessible Voting
To verify that facilities will meet our needs, we perform inspections to substantiate hours of operation,
indoor space, floor plans, wireless connectivity, line management needs, and parking needs. We also
evaluate the facility to ensure voters with a disability are able to vote in-person or curbside if they choose.
To confirm usability and voter accessibility we review the following during our on-site inspections:
•
Voter entrance
•
Obstacles
•
Confirmation of minimum square footage, parking and lighting
•
Ability to setup certified accessible voting device
•
Availability for curbside voting
•
Drop-off or loading area with a level access side
•
Exterior and interior pedestrian routes that voters use to get to check-in and voting areas
In some instances, we are able to provide temporary installation of ramps or signage to create an ADA-
compliant site. If non-compliance issues are reported after our inspection, a new on-site assessment is
conducted, issues are worked on-site with the administrator, and the accessibility evaluation is updated.
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Additional accessible voting options such as special election boards that visit nursing homes are described
in further detail in the Early Voting Plan. The Elections Department complies with the following Federal and
State laws in order to serve voters with disabilities:
•
52 U.S.C. § 20101 Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984
•
52 U.S.C.A. § 21081(a)(3) HAVA – Disability Rights
•
42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(3); 42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
•
A.R.S. § 16-581
6.1.3 Transition between Election Phases
A smooth and seamless transition between Early Voting, Emergency Voting, and Election Day with minimal
problems can only be achieved through close communication and complete collaboration with Department
staff and the Recorder’s Office. To minimize voter confusion and duplication of efforts, the Elections
Department will use the same Vote Center facilities and equipment for Election Day as used during the
Emergency Voting and Early Voting phases.
6.1.4 Facilities Acquisition & Timeline
We place an emphasis on enhancing relationships with facility administrators and staff to build a reliable
inventory of ready-to-use facilities. Most facilities provide the Elections Department with their facility for
free or for a nominal charge. To manage facilities, we adopt a framework of communication, customization
and continuous monitoring.
•
Communication: We reach out to facility administrators about 160 days prior to an election and
attempt to quickly resolve delivery, setup, and other modification requests within 24-48 hours.
•
Customization: We work with facility administrators to customize voter flow, lines, seating and
operational space to ensure voters and staff have ample movement in and around the facility.
•
Monitoring: We provide responsive support from 160 days before the election through equipment
recovery on/or about one week after the election.
A timeline of key steps involved prior to the election in the acquisition of our polling locations is included
below:
•
160 days: The Elections Department completes a joint review with the Recorder’s Geographic
Information System (GIS) team to determine that facility locations are compliant with consolidated
precinct boundaries and will be geographically dispersed to meet voter turnout.
•
150 days: Early communication with facilities determines accessibility, compliance, and availability
for the duration of voting requirements. A “Save the Date” message is sent to facility administrators
to query polling place and Vote Center participation in all 2020 elections.
•
150-60 days: The Elections Department signs Facility Use Agreements with General Election Vote
Centers, which include dates of service and confirmation signatures. Facility technicians monitor
for changes in dates, times, venue, and ensuring positive relationships with facility owners and
managers.
•
60-21 days: Final confirmations are made with all facilities to determine if there have been any
changes in dates, times, and/or venue. Once all confirmations are made, the Elections Department
will post the locations on our website, Locations.Maricopa.Vote.
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During the complete election cycle, we conduct continuous monitoring of interactions with facilities.
Department staff work to resolve issues. At the end of the election cycle, lessons learned are captured
during the After Action Review and recorded for future use.
6.1.5 Drop Box Only Locations
The Election Department will also be opening 25 – 35 secure drop box only locations where voters can drop
their early ballot off without having to visit a vote center or their local mail-box. As many as 5 – 10 of these
locations will be drive through drop boxes staffed with poll workers. These drive through locations will
allow voters to deliver their early ballot directly us without having to leave their vehicle. The drive through
locations will be open on Saturday October 24, 2020 and again Saturday October 31, 2020 – Tuesday
November 3, 2020.
6.2 – Voting Equipment Delivery & Logistics
Vote Center equipment delivery and set up begins up to 36 days prior to the election. Set up teams will be
comprised of laborers, drivers, t-techs, auditors and troubleshooters. Drivers will deliver the equipment
and supplies and perform initial set up of Vote Center support equipment. The tech crew follows behind to
perform the technical set up and ensure the location is ready for voters. Finally, a troubleshooter will close
the loop with a quality control check of critical systems such as the Site Books and accessible voting devices.
Set ups are scheduled as early in the day as possible in order to address any problems that may arise and
set up crews are also encouraged to get ahead of the schedule as feasible. Set up crews confirm set up
completion with Vote Center manager and provide a second set of onsite test prints that further confirm
BOD functionality on site. A makeup date is injected into the planning calendar in the event that a failed
set up occurs.
6.2.1 – Equipment and Supply Buildout
The Elections Department began organizing Vote Center equipment packages in mid- August 2020. Vote
Center preparation starts with Site book updates, BOD printer checks and services which include
performance testing, printer settings checks and ballot file uploads. BOD test prints will confirm
functionality and as discussed, will be provided to executive leadership. Green bags include all of the critical
technology peripherals needed to enable site book and BOD connectivity and communication, they are
assembled jointly by IT staff and warehouse personnel. The accessible voting device and precinct based
tabulators are programmed and tested by Ballot Tabulation Center staff and then carefully packed and
configured for transport by warehouse personnel. Next steps involve the non-technical preparation
aspects and start with the consumable stock needed at each Vote Center such as blank ballot shells,
envelopes, blank paper for receipts and the heavier weighted 8 ½” x 11” paper for the accessible voting
device. Cleaning kits are also assembled which include all of the necessary PPE and cleaning supplies
required to operate and maintain a safe and healthy environment for poll workers and voters. Temporary
staff enter the work flow at this point and assume the responsibility for packaging and preparing the general
supply carts, voting booths, all barricades, curbside signage, black box, tables and all of the stationary
supplies such as sharpie ballot marking pens. They follow the same equipment checklist used by permanent
staff.
6.2.2 – Election Day Facility and Operational Support
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Hotline and Troubleshooters
Hotline and troubleshooter temporary staff support critical functions as subject matter experts; they are
hired from a specialized pool of people with previous elections experience. They are already familiar with
the Election Reporting System (ERS) and understand the urgent need for quickly responding to problems
that arise.
Troubleshooters are issued kits with extra supplies and a troubleshooter manual for reference during their
shift. Troubleshooters act in a semi-supervisory capacity in their management of up to five Vote Centers
and are looked to for procedural guidance and some technical support as the first line of problem
resolution.
Troubleshooters are involved in every step of the process especially during site set up. They are usually the
first layer of resolution in any problem solving at a Vote Center and serve as a bridge between the Poll
Workers and the support staff.
Hotline staff are provided a detailed reference manual and a desktop application that replicates the
SiteBook check-in system user interface so that they can navigate Poll Workers through difficult scenarios.
Hotline staff are the primary operators of the ERS and are responsible for categorical reporting of technical
issues, administration issues, supply issues, voter registration, procedural issues and other general
problems that are beyond the capability of a Poll Worker to resolve.
Supply Depots
The supply depot strategy for the General Election includes the use of county acquired rental facilities that
are geographically dispersed throughout Maricopa County. Five supply depots will be established in regions
that have had historically high in person voter turnouts. Since the depots will be under the direct control
of elections department staff, the availability is unlimited in order to best serve replenishment needs as
they arise. Pre-positioning of key equipment and supplies at distant and highly accessible and secure
locations will greatly enhance our ability to get replacements out quickly and further reduce risk.
Supply depots are stocked during the same delivery window as the Vote Centers as the intent is to test
their functionality and use during the early voting period. Key supplies include frequently used
consumables such as blank ballot shells, envelopes, and cleaning and safety supplies to respond to COVID-
19 health concerns. Other critical equipment includes extra site books, precinct based tabulators and
printers as well as all critical support peripherals such as wireless devices, cabling and power cords. We
determine inventory stock rates at each depot by population density, projected turnout rates and prior in
person voting patterns.
6.2.3 – Election Equipment Recovery
The Elections Department plans to pick up all additional election equipment between November 04 and
November 10. The pickup schedule is designed to accommodate facilities with specific requirements for
immediate equipment removal. Every attempt is made to collect equipment and materials from every
facility as timely and safely as possible, with a return of all facility rooms and furniture to their original state.
First priority after safety is accountability of all equipment with the highest priority assigned to capital
assets which will receive color-coded asset tags. Secondary priority is the immediate identification of
deficiencies or damages that may have occurred during the election cycle. Finally, all equipment will be
cleaned, recorded virtually in the warehouse management system and re-stowed according to assignment.
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Printers, laptops, voting equipment and other passive electronic components will be scheduled for post-
election servicing in accordance with original equipment manufacturer guidance.
To increase safety, returned equipment will be segregated from the general population and stored “as is”
for two days before being unbundled, inspected, cleaned and re-stowed. Each aisle at the rear of the
warehouse will be pre-designated by day for storage until the two days have passed. Temporary workers
will wear gloves as they are supervised for the un-bundle of all equipment. After inspection and cleaning
has been completed the warehouse team will work in conjunction with the Recorders IT team to initiate
repairs and conduct annual maintenance.
6.3 – Logistics and Warehouse Management Training and Continuous Improvement
In most cases, the Elections Department will cross-train temporary staff in two or more functional areas.
This reduces operational constraints and builds confidence in the team as well as with polling place and
Vote Center staff.
Delivery drivers will receive formal training from Risk Management on the principles of safe truck
operations on September 28 and October 12. The training will conclude with a practical backing exercise
to check driver competency prior to scheduled deliveries. In house training will include equipment scanning
procedures, equipment package building and equipment loading/tie-down procedures. Ballot couriers will
also attend the classroom portion of safe truck operations.
We successfully launched a new ballot on demand printer during the August Primary Election and we
captured many lessons learned. We plan to incorporate these lessons learned into an additional training
period that includes extensive hands on training with onsite iterative training sessions. The training is
scheduled to begin during the first week of September and will include two to four weeks of training at
actual Vote Centers, we plan to produce subject matter experts by exposing temporary support staff to a
variety of vignette style scenarios. The first temp cohort is scheduled to start on September 1 and would
be asked to support the training of the next temp cohort starting on September 28. This method worked
very well during the preparation for the August Primary Election.
During the Early Voting period, hotline staff, troubleshooters, and available county employees supporting
the August Primary, will be invited to a one-day refresher training and synchronization meeting. This
training will focus on the ERS and will use a series of vignettes designed to provoke discussion on potential
technical, procedural, and operational challenges that are common at Vote Centers. External support such
as Runbeck Election Services will be invited to this training as well, mostly to synchronize operationally, but
also to provide high level technical instruction as appropriate.
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6.4 – Logistics and Facility Key Performance Indicators
We will measure our performance through the following Key Performance Indicators:
1. Election Site Resourcing: Measures the level of resourcing provided to election sites, this indicator
allows us to track and measure equipment package defects, the most important function of the
warehouse and logistics team.
2. Percentage of on time deliveries: Department standard is to deliver all assigned election equipment and
supplies to an election site 18 hours prior to Setup Day. .
3. Uniformity at sites: The Elections Department uses the same standard for accuracy at all election sites.
This will be determined and tracked through a 10% internal inspection/audit.
4. Property Accountability: Refers to a measure of a) missing equipment, b) tracking of equipment, and c)
documentation, and includes verification of a paper trail that follows the equipment’s journey from
pallet rack to staging area to dock door to truck to election site and back
Response Time: Measures our response time to solve facility problems beyond the scope/capability of a
Troubleshooter.
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7.0 – Tabulation Equipment and Counting Plan
The Elections Department’s Tabulation plan for the November 2020 General Election outlines how we will
process and count ballots. The factors related to successfully and accurately tabulate votes include:
•
Verifying that the amount of tabulation equipment is sufficient to accommodate forecasted
turnout
•
Using equipment that meets certification and testing requirements
•
Implementing physical and cyber security measures
•
Securely storing original ballots and creating audit trails
•
Hiring bi-partisan central boards to assist with hand count audits, adjudication, and other
tabulation activities
7.1 – Tabulation Approach and Strategy
State statute allows five business days for the processing of provisional ballots and curing of inconsistent
signatures on early ballots (A.R.S. 16-550 and 16-584D). Our goal is to have 99% of all valid ballots counted
and reported by the end of the cure period (November 10, 2020 at 5pm). To assist with meeting this
timeline, the Board approved the lease of a new tabulation system, Dominion Democracy 5.5-B Suite to
replace the prior tabulation system purchased in 1996. The new system will improve the tabulation process
by ensuring the handling of ballots and counting of votes cast are completed with the maximum efficiency,
security, transparency, integrity, and oversight.
7.1.1 – Efficiency
For the 2020 November General Election, votes will be counted by precinct based tabulators (ICP2) if voting
in-person on Election Day, or by central count tabulators (High Speed or Cannon G1130) if voting by mail,
a provisional ballot, at an Early Vote Center, or at an Emergency Vote Center.
Precinct Based Tabulation
Precinct based tabulation occurs on Election Day as voters insert their ballot into a tabulator at their polling
location. The Elections Department posts these results after 8 p.m. on Election Day as the equipment is
returned from each of the 100 Vote Centers.
Central Count Based Tabulation
Our new central count tabulators are capable of scanning and counting ballots much quicker than our old
equipment. After 20 years of expertise on our old equipment, best-case scenarios yielded processing
speeds of 3,000 - 5,000 ballots per hour/per machine. However, due to bandwidth and memory limitations,
the old equipment could only be used for approximately six hours per day.
After a series of stress tests performed in the Fall of 2019 and experience from the March 2020 Presidential
Preference Election and August 2020 Primary Election, the new equipment is capable of processing up to
6,000 - 8,000 ballots per hour/per machine using batch processing as required by statute and the SOS
Procedures Manual (see A.R.S 16-602.F).
Based on the turnout forecast completed in Section 2.0 (page 8), we anticipate total voter turnout to be
between 1,800,000 and 2,000,000, with approximately 200,000 - 300,000 eligible voters casting their ballot
at a Vote Center on Election Day and using a precinct based tabulator to count their ballot. Using a
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conservative estimate that 1,800,000 valid early ballots that will be counted using the central count
tabulators, we can make staffing projections and estimate time needed to count ballots.
For the November 2020 General Election, we will use four high-speed scanners and five additional central
count tabulators. Using a single nine-hour-shift (seven and half tabulation hours), we will have a daily
capacity to count approximately 215,000 ballots per-day. These amounts indicate that it will require us 8.2
days to count ballots. State statute allows us to start tabulating early ballots 14 days in advance of the
election. However, we typically do not receive all ballots at once, and voters tend to return closer to Election
Day.
In the 2018 General Election, we received approximately 180,000 (15% of the total 1.2 million early ballots)
ballots (“late earlies”) by mail the day before the election or early ballots dropped off at the polls. If we
conservatively assume that 20% of early ballots will be “late earlies,” we will need to count approximately
360,000 - 400,000 ballots after Election Day. Early ballot processing (e.g., sorting, signature verification,
removing from the envelope) can take 3 -5 days to process 400,000 ballots. Given the processing capacity
of 90,000 – 110,000 ballots per-day, coupled with the tabulation capacity of 215,000 ballots per day, we
estimate to have counted 99% of all ballots within five business days after the Election. Since the new
equipment is not limited in memory and bandwidth, we can implement separate shifts if turnout exceeds
expectations or to decrease the number of days needed for counting.
Adjudication and Duplication Process
When early ballots are damaged, defective, or when voter’s intent is clearly indicated, but can’t be
determined by the tabulation system, we will electronically duplicate and adjudicate the ballot and then
use a bi-partisan adjudication board overseen by an inspector to decide if voter intent can be determined.
Each board will be comprised of at least two members who are registered voters of different political
parties.
We conservatively estimate that the percent of ballots requiring adjudication will range between 2-4%.
Based on turnout forecasts, this would create a range of 36,000 – 72,000 ballots. The percent of ballot
processed after Election Day that would need to be adjudicated could range between 12,000 – 16,000.
Considering the length of the ballot, we would need to hire approximately 20 adjudication boards (40 party
representatives) to finish adjudicating the pose election day ballots within five business days after Election
Day.
7.1.2 – Security, Integrity, Transparency, and Oversight
There are many components to maintaining security, integrity, transparency, and oversight over the
tabulation process and equipment. They include system testing (e.g., certification, logic and accuracy
testing), physical security, cyber security, using paper ballots, performing audits, hiring bi-partisan central
boards, and other checks and balances. Some of these items are described in further detail below.
Certification and Accuracy Testing
As required by state statute, the Dominion Voting System we will use for the 2020 November General
election is certified by the Federal U. S. Election Assistance Commission, the State’s Equipment Certification
Advisory Committee, and the Secretary of State. (see A.R.S. §16-442). The certification process included
using a hash code check or “fingerprint” taken of the software that is stored offsite at a federal agency.
Through a series of logic and accuracy tests, this hash code is re-checked before and after the election to
verify the program has not been altered or edited.
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The logic and accuracy test is intended to confirm that votes are attributed to the correct candidates and
ballot measures in the election management system (EMS), and that each candidate and ballot measure
receives the accurate number of votes.
The Elections Department’s Election Day and Early Voting Directors are responsible for performing the logic
and accuracy test on all voting equipment prior to each election. The conduct of the test is overseen by
inspectors (of different political parties) and is open to observation by representatives of the political
parties, candidates, the press, and the public. Since this election involves a federal office, the Secretary of
State is also responsible for conducting an additional logic and accuracy test on selected voting equipment.
(see A.R.S. § 16-449).
Physical and Cyber security
The Elections Department maintains a series of strong physical and network security controls. Security
protocols prevent us from describing these control measures in further detail.
Paper Ballots and Hand Count Audits
The Elections Department retains the original paper ballot until the election is officially canvassed, after
which time ballots from the General Election are stored according to record retention requirements. The
new tabulators also scan and store a digital copy of every ballot with a digital audit mark that is affixed
detailing how the ballot was counted. Since the new equipment creates a digital image of the ballot, the
Elections Department immediately secures and stores the actual original paper ballots by batch after
tabulation. We store the ballots in batches of 200 or less, which allows us to quickly locate the physical
ballots if there is a need to compare them with the digital copy.
We validate the accuracy of the tabulation system through a random Hand Count Audit done on 1% of early
ballots and 2% of the polling place ballots. This manual hand count will be completed by appointees of each
of the political parties and not performed by our office or staff. The Hand Count Audit is performed by three
member boards of differing political parties (for checks and balances) on ballots randomly selected by the
political party observers. The boards compare their hand count results to the amounts counted by the
tabulations machines. Board members may not bring any electronic devices or pens into the hand count
room.
Bi-Partisan Boards and Observers
The Central Counting Place will be staffed by tabulation technicians, Dominion representatives (our ballot
tabulation vendor), bi-partisan Central Boards (e.g., snag, duplication, write-in tally, audit), and political
party observers. The Elections Department’s Directors appoint the Central Boards, which are comprised of
two members of different political parties, and are trained on their duties before assuming their positions.
The Elections Departments recruiting efforts include requesting each party provide lists of nominees the
Directors will consider for appointment to a Central Board.
All persons taking part in the actual processing and counting of ballots, including our staff members, will be
appointed in writing and take an oath office that they will faithfully and impartially perform their duties.
Any person who has not been appointed in writing or taken the oath shall, under no circumstances, be
permitted to touch any ballot, computer, or counting device used in processing ballots.
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7.2 – Reporting Results and Canvass
The Election Day & Early Voting Director share responsibility for promptly transmitting election results to
the Secretary of State, prior to or immediately after making those results public. On Election Day, results
will be transmitted at 8 p.m. as the Elections Department transmit results once a day as it tabulates
additional results prior to the county canvass.
The Elections Department will submit the Canvass to the Board for approval and will include the following
information (A.R.S. § 16-646(A)):
1. A Statement of Votes Cast, which includes:
a. The number of ballots cast in each Precinct in the county;
b. The number of ballots rejected in each Precinct in the county;
c. The title of the offices up for election and the names of the persons (along with the party
designation) running to fill those offices;
d. The number of votes for each candidate by Precinct in the county;
2. A cumulative Official Final Report, which includes:
a. The total number of Congressional Districts;
b. The total number of ballots cast;
c. The total number of registered voters eligible for the election;
d. The number of votes for each candidate by congressional district
7.3 – Tabulation Timeline
NOVEMBER 2020 GENERAL ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description (Statue Reference)
October 4, 2020
Publish Logic and Accuracy Test Notice (at least 48 hours before test date)
October 6, 2020
Complete Logic and Accuracy Test
October 20, 2020
Start of Tabulation (14 days prior to the election)
November 3, 2020
Initial Results Reporting at 8 p.m. (processed early ballots)
November 5-14, 2020
As needed, daily updates will be reported at 7 p.m.
November 4, 2020
Hand Count Audit Draw
November 23, 2020
Deadline for Board Approval of Canvass (A.R.S. § 16-642(A))
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8.0 – Risk Management and Contingency Plan
The Elections Department’s Risk Management and Contingency Plan for the November 2020 General
Election establishes the procedures that will be followed in the event that a polling location or the central
count center becomes temporarily or permanently inoperable on Election Day due to equipment failures,
a power outage, or other unforeseen disruption. The objective of the Risk Management and Contingency
plan is to outline how the Elections Department will identify potential risks, develop strategies to mitigate
risks, and provide for the continuity of voting and tabulation on Election Day.
8.1 – Risk Management and Contingency Planning Methodology and Approach
Risk management is a continuous, forward-looking process that is an important part of conducting an
election. We perform risk management activities to identify potential risks that may adversely impact an
election and develop strategies that can mitigate these risks if they occur. The Elections Department’s risk
management process includes:
•
Identification of key operations that would have the most significant impact if they were
unavailable during the course of the election.
•
Assignment of project managers (e.g., Election Directors, Assistant Directors) over key processes
(e.g., communications, staffing, training, facilities acquisition, logistics) to work with stakeholders
to ensure risks are actively identified, analyzed, and managed throughout the project.
•
Crisis Communication Strategy that describes how risks will be documented and escalated. (See
Section 3.36, Page 19).
Voting Locations
In the event that a single or small number of voting location(s) experiences an emergency, the Elections
Communications Officer will use social media, traditional media, and other means where possible to advise
voters of the emergency and the nearest Vote Center location until the emergency is resolved. Maricopa
County is deploying 165 - 175 Vote Centers that any voter can use in the event that one location is
unavailable.
In conjunction with local public safety authorities, an assessment will be made in order to determine the
operational status of vote location(s) by the Elections Department’s Facilities Acquisition Division. If the
Assistant Director for Logistics finds that the emergency will significantly or permanently close the location,
a new location will be found. The Facilities Acquisition Division will oversee the posting of signs providing
the information on the revised voting location. Signs will be placed as near as possible to the evacuated
location(s) alerting voters of the relocated voting location, as well as the location of the nearest Vote Center
location and the website address for the complete list of Vote Center locations.
The Division of Recruitment and Training will communicate this information to Inspectors, Trouble Shooters
and/or other Poll Workers. The Elections Department Communications Director will communicate the new
location to the public.
If the emergency is widespread and affects many voting locations, the Elections Department will work with
local authorities to perform an assessment of the situation. We’ll provide timely updates as described in
the Crisis Communications Plan (Section 3.27, page 21).
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If a location loses power, the Elections Department has backup generators, supplemental lighting, and
other emergency supplies that we will dispatch from the Supply Depots for quick response. The Elections
Department has established additional contingencies for long-term, widespread, power outages or cellular
network failures.
•
Sealed Break-in Case of Emergency Kit: This includes emergency voter check-in procedures, blank
paper check-in roster, transfer tickets, and transfer forms.
•
ICX Accessible Voting Device: The device has an uninterrupted back-up power source. The device
is loaded with all ballot styles and available to use as a vote anywhere model in case of an
emergency.
Voting Supplies and Equipment
If a voting location’s supplies or equipment are missing or inoperable, Poll Workers, Trouble Shooters and
Observers will use hotlines to advise the Elections Department. Replacement supplies and equipment will
be dispatch from one of ten Supply Depot locations across the County.
The Elections Department has addressed on-site contingencies with the use multiple SiteBooks and BOD
printers. All voting locations have at least six SiteBook check-in terminals, one accessible voting device and
a ballot tabulator. Vote Centers also have two ballot-on-demand printers. If other equipment
malfunctions, five Supp
ly Depots across the county contain back-up equipment, which Trouble Shooters and other technical
support staff will deliver.
Central Counting Center
In the event that the MCTEC facility is inoperable on Election Day due to a centralized emergency, the
Elections Department will relocate the Tabulation Center to the City of Phoenix’s Election Department. This
process includes delivering and securing tabulation equipment and materials. The County has arranged
with Dominion to provide necessary contingent equipment.
Based on the joint agreement of both Election Director’s to relocate the Tabulation Center location,
Election Department employees assigned to work in election night activities will proceed to the relocation
site. The Elections Department will establish a personnel check-in area to account for all assigned workers.
Work assignments will be allocated based on election night responsibilities and include voting location
ballot/supplies receiving, securing, unpacking, secure ballot storage, tabulation, and the reporting of
unofficial elections results.
Staff assigned to early ballot signature verification will relocate to the Recorder’s downtown facility to
continue with that process. Early Ballot Processing, write-in and duplication boards will report to the City
of Phoenix Elections Department. The Election Department Division of Recruitment & Training will
communicate with all Central Board Workers to confirm their work location and any other important
information. Cellular phones, two way radios, and email will be used for internal staff communications.
The Director of Election Day and Emergency Voting will notify the Secretary of State (and the chairpersons
of the recognized political parties) if this tabulation contingency plan is invoked.
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Poll Worker Absences and Emergencies
The Election Department Division for Recruitment & Training is responsible for ensuring that an adequate
number of Poll Workers, including bilingual workers are hired and trained to work Election Day. In addition
to hiring 10 - 12 Poll Workers for each voting location, we are also hiring 30 back-up inspectors should a
polling location have insufficient or absent Poll Workers. The hiring of extra Poll Workers will allow us to
overcome an absentee rate of 30-40%.
If a Poll Worker does not report for work, the Inspector is trained to call the Poll Worker hotline to request
the Elections Department hire and dispatch a replacement worker. If the Inspector does not report, a Judge
will assume temporary Inspector responsibilities of the polling location and call the Hotline for further
instructions, including the request for a replacement Inspector and/or additional workers.
If a Poll Worker becomes ill during Election Day or has a personal emergency, the worker will be allowed to
leave and will be replaced. If a health emergency occurs with a Poll Worker or any other individual in the
voting location, the Inspector is trained to call 911 and then the Poll Worker hotline.
8.2 – Provisions for Extending Voting Hours
In the case of a terrorist attack or natural or man-made disaster, the Director of Election Day and Emergency
Voting will consult with the Board of Supervisors, Sheriff’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office and the
Secretary of State’s Office to determine what action should be taken. Because the Legislature has not
provided the County nor the courts with the statutory authority to seek an extension of voting hours, the
County will not initiate any court action to extend polling location hours for isolated events such as power
outages or a delay in opening a polling location.
8.3 – Emergency Communications and Key Stakeholders
The Crisis Communications Team will be activated and a response plan will be set in action to disseminate
critical information to voters and other key stakeholders. As described in the Crisis Communications Plan
(Section 3.27, page 20) the Director for Election Day & Emergency Voting or designee will contact the Board
of Supervisors and Secretary of State to apprise them of any emergency and the proposed recovery plan.
The following entities have been identified as key stakeholders and are included in the communication and
escalation plan.
•
Voters
•
Poll Workers
•
Elections Department Staff
•
Board of Supervisors
•
County Recorder
•
News Media
•
Jurisdictions
•
Arizona Secretary of State
•
Political Parties
•
Candidates or Campaigns
•
Maricopa County Attorney
•
Arizona Attorney General
•
Maricopa County Sheriff and other state
and local police
•
Arizona Counter Terrorism Information
Center
•
Maricopa County Department of
Emergency Management
•
FBI
•
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
•
The U.S. Attorney’s Office
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8.3.1 – Sheriff’s Support
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has assigned specific deputy officers to the Elections Department in case
of disturbances or emergency at any voting location on Election Day. All Poll Workers are trained to call the
hotline and Sheriff Deputies will be dispatched as needed. All Poll Workers are trained to call 911 in case of
immediate and/or life threatening emergency.
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9.0 – Election Budget
We had originally projected a budget of $9.9 million to fund the November General Election. Due to COIVD-
19, we are anticipating that costs will now exceed $11,279,000 million. We plan to seek reimbursement
for all allowed COVID-19 costs, which are currently budgeted at nearly $1.4 million. The Elections
Department’s November General Election budget is below.
August 2020 Primary Election Budget
Expenditure Description
Sub Total
Total
Staffing
Poll Workers (Vote Centers and Polling Locations)
$1,153,987
Central Board and Other Temporary Workers
$1,535,200
STAR Call Center Temps and Security Services
$125,000
Additional Staffing Costs Due to COVID-19
$536,580
Staffing Total
$3,350,767
Supplies and Services
Ballot Printing (Polling Location / Sample Ballots)
$802,932
Early Ballot Printing and processing and Mailing
$4,956,374
Ballot Printing and Mailing Cost Increases due to COVID-19
$62,860
Polling Place Rental Agreements
$37,725
Polling Place Rental Agreements Lease Costs due to COVID-19
$390,951
Temporary Parking Lots, Vehicle Rentals
$52,000
Polling Places Supplies and Consumables Other Supplies & Services
(e.g., translation, ballot storage, braille envelopes)
$735,276
Advertising, Direct Mailers
$550,000
COVD-19 Cleaning Supplies and Protective Equipment
$100,000
COVD-19 Physical Distancing Equipment and Ballot-on-Demand
Printers
$200,000
COVD-19 Advertising Increase
$421,000
Supplies and Services Total
$8,309,118
Election Total Budget
$11,659,885
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Appendix A – Poll Worker Training Topics
Specific role based training topics by role and type of voting location are included in the table below.
Topic
Judges /
Inspectors
Marshals
Voter Reg. clerks
Clerks
Cleaning and Sanitation Guidelines for Safe Voting during COVID-19
X
X
X
X
Hours the voting location will be open
X
X
X
X
ICX Operation
X
X
X
Image Cast Precinct 2 Tabulator Operation
X
X
X
Information specific to the 2020 General Election
X
X
X
X
Inventorying supplies
X
Issuance of ballot types/styles (political party, FED only, ballot splits, etc.)
X
X
X
X
Mediation/Difficult Conversations
X
X
Monitoring envelope drop-off box
X
X
Nightly closing
X
X
X
X
Opening the voting location
X
X
X
X
Political party observers
X
X
X
X
Poll Worker injuries
X
X
X
X
Poll Workers’ hours
X
X
X
X
Practicing Physical Distancing
X
X
X
X
Preparing the official and unofficial envelope contents
X
Procedures for challenges
X
X
X
X
Procedures for checking identification
X
X
X
X
Proper Use of Required PPE
X
X
X
X
Provisional ballot processing
X
X
X
X
Review of election laws and procedures
X
X
X
X
Signage
X
X
X
X
Site Books Operation
X
X
X
X
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Appendix A – Poll Worker Training Topics (Continued)
Topic
Polling Places
Judges / Inspectors
Marshals
Voter Reg. clerks
Clerks
Situational Awareness
X
X
X
X
Voter Flow through the Voting Location
X
X
X
X
Spoiled ballot procedures
X
Standard voting procedures
X
X
X
X
Delivery of voted ballots and Tabulator Memory Cards
X
Troubleshooting, including when and how to implement wait-time reduction
and other contingency plans
X
X
X
X
Voting equipment checks, including ensuring that equipment seals have not
been tampered with and verifying equipment is functioning properly
X
X
X
Who may vote in the election
X
X
X
X