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Locality: Emporia City

File Name: Emporia City Survey 20210830




ObserversTammie Shoemaker, Richard Shoemaker
Date of interview08/30/2021
Time and date of initial call and email:09/01/2021
Time and date of response:09/01/2021
Did the registrar refuse to meet you:No
If yes, please provide the reason given for not meeting:
Survey Answers
1. What is your biggest concern about the upcoming election?Having enough poll workers to support election
2. Any other major concerns?Need more encouragement from parties
3. Do you feel like you have the resources, equipment, personnel, and training needed to run an effective election in November?Yes
3a. Any additional information?
4. If no, what is missing?
5. The county election board is supposed to consist of 2 Democrats and a Republican under a Democrat governor, but in some areas, boards have had trouble finding willing Republicans and have appointed an Independent instead, or another Democrat. What is the situation in this county?2D+R
6. What about precinct staff? Are you able to have equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans?No
6a. Provide DetailsHarder to find republicans. Registrar reaches out to both parties with no responses
7. Is the county Board of Elections engaged in your work year-round, or mostly near elections?Yearly
7a. Any additional information?
8. When was the last audit of the voter file in your county?2021-07-01 00:00:00
8a. No. of days since last audit: Purge after federal elections
8b. Any additional information?
9a. Does the Health Department send a list of deceased people to your office every month so they can be removed from the voter roll?No
9b. If no, how often do they send a list?Receive from state via VERIS
10. When was the last time the Clerk of Courts submitted a list of individuals who declined to serve on jury duty on the basis of being a non-citizen?
10a. Any additional information?Never
Record date and other list(s), if relevantNever
11. When was the last time you had access to the National Change of Address List or any other change of address list?
Other list(s):State sends out NCOA list
12a. Are you confident that the voter file is accurate and up to date?Yes
12b. If no, what is/are your main concern(s) about the list?
13. How many households in your locality have more than 7 individuals registered at the same address? Number:Unknown
14. During registration, how do you verify that voters are citizens?Voters verify on application by checking box - no double check on registrar's part
15. There are three types of voting machines used in Virginia. Can you tell me which machines you use?ES+S DS-200
16. Who calibrates the voting machines, and can you please explain the process?3rd party PRINT ELECT
17. Do you invite party representatives to witness the calibration?Yes
17a. Any additional information?Registrar has had only (1) occurrence where a party has observed calibration in six years
18a. Are voting machines ever connected to the internet?No
18b. If they are not connected to the internet, how and when are they updated?
19. As an election professional, do you think the changes made in the election process in Virginia in response to COVID have weakened election integrity, strengthened election integrity, or made no change in election integrity?Strengthened
19a. Any additional information?Open doors for voters to kow process
20a. Did you receive any funding or in-kind contributions for training, staff, voter education or equipment, or any other purpose from outside the state of Virginia?No
20b. If yes, what was the funding or contribution used for?
21. Effective Jul 1, 2021, Senate Bill 1097, eliminated requirements for voters to have a witness signature on absentee ballots for any election during a declared state of emergency. The Governor has now rescinded the state of emergency. How are you training your staff to ensure that there is a signature match for the upcoming elections?The registrar & assistant registrar compare signatures to what is shown in VERIS
22. There is a lot of concern in Virginia and across the country about the security and integrity of the ballot drop boxes. What are the chain of custody procedures for ballot drop boxes?One drop box located outside office in parking lot, is locked & checked twice a day (morning & evening)
23. Was there any time during the last election cycle when your drop boxes did not have video monitoring?No
23a. Any additional information?
24. Who is responsible for reviewing the video?N/A
24b. Were party observers present during the review?Yes
25. Would you provide training and support, or designate us to provide training and support, for an election day page program as described in 24.2-604.3?Yes
25a. Any additional information?Only if the registrar were to perform
26. Would you authorize non-partisan election observers with the same rights as party representatives; as described in 24.2-604.5 A?No
26a. Any additional information?
27. Would you authorize international non-partisan observers from recognized election monitoring organizations?No
27a. Any additional information?
28. Have your local party chairs been notified that they are entitled to send observers to your office each day it is open and receiving in-person absentee ballots?Yes
28a. Any additional information?No observers sent by either party
29a. Do you have a publication that you provide to your election officials regarding rights and responsibilities of observers?Yes
29b. If no, would you be willing to distribute such a publication that we would prepare based on Virginia law?Refused
30. Question – Please characterize your interaction with the Registrar asHelpful Polite




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