Only 61 Days Until Election Day:  Many of you have asked for tips on how to handle the strong turnout anticipated this November.  It is strongly recommended that you provide at least 1 voting station per 100 voters to avoid a serious risk of unacceptably long lines.

 

Michigan Election Law, Section 796a provides a minimum requirement of 1 voting station per 300 registered voters.  This number is insufficient for a Presidential election.  The national standard is a minimum of 1 voting station per 100 registered voters. 

 

Section 796a is included at the end of this e-mail - read subsection (2) very carefully.  It requires each election commission to "provide a sufficient number of voting stations needed to ensure the orderly conduct of the election?"  It goes on to instruct the election commission to consider the "projected turnout, the length of the ballot and the number of voters the voting system can process per hour?." 

 

Michigan is a battleground state.  We should plan for a turnout in excess of 5 million voters.  The ballot is very long.  The average time to vote a presidential ballot is around 10 minutes.  Some voters will take 5 minutes and others will take 15 minutes.

 

The following examples apply the criteria of Section 796a to the November 4, 2008 general election:

 

Scenario:  2,500 voters in the precinct.  2,000 voters turnout to vote.

 

 1.   Statutory Formula:

        1 voting station per 300 registered voters = 8 voting stations

        8 voting stations = 250 voters per voting station during 13 hours (780 minutes)

        250 voters for one voting station = 3 minutes per voter to cast their ballot.

  

  2.  Recommended Formula:

         1 voting station per 100 registered voters = 25 voting stations

         25 voting stations = 80 voters per voting station during 13 hours

         80 voters for one voting station = 9.75 minutes per voter to cast their ballot.

  

Example #1 sets up an election with long lines.  This cannot be considered an "orderly conduct of an election."  Remember, the law directs the election commission to begin with a minimum of 1 voting station per 300 voters.   After considering turnout, length of the ballot and amount of time to vote the ballot, election commissions must substantially increase the number of voting stations.  By moving to 1 voting station per 100 voters, the number of stations increases from 8 to 25. 

 

Example #2 is a more reasonable estimate of what will be needed this November.  Even this number may leave precincts with lines during peak periods on Election Day.  Twenty five voting stations will allow 150 voters to cast ballots in 1 hour.  Keep that in mind when deciding how many voting stations to deploy.  There are communities with very heavy peak periods that may want to consider going to 1 voting station per 80 voters.

 

Summary:     1 voting station per 300 voters will cause long lines.

                    1 voting station per 100 voters will reduce lines.       

                    1 voting station per 80 voters will reduce lines in precincts with heavy peak periods.

                     

Note:  Last week many of you received word of an inexpensive way to add voting stations.  Cardboard table top voting stations may be purchased for less the $1.  Orders must be placed by September 15^th.  If you are interested, please contact Mary Bassett at 313-982-6400 Ext. 418 (Apac Paper in Allen Park).

 

168.796a Electronic voting system; preparation for election; equipment and supplies; voting stations.

Sec. 796a.

"(1) Before an election at which an electronic voting system is used, the board of election commissioners of the county, city, village, township, or school district shall have the system prepared for the election. The board shall provide the election board of each voting precinct with the necessary equipment and supplies.

"(2) Before an election, the board of election commissioners of a county, city, village, township, or school district shall provide a sufficient number of voting stations needed to ensure the orderly conduct of the election taking into consideration the projected turnout, the length of the ballot, and the number of voters the voting system can process per hour as determined under section 795a. As a minimum for each election, the board of election commissioners shall provide at least 1 voting station for each 400 registered voters in each precinct through August 31, 1998 and at least 1 voting station for each 300 registered voters on and after September 1, 1998. If counting centers are used, the board of election commissioners of the county, city, village, township, or school district shall establish 1 or more counting centers as needed before the election."

 Questions?  Please contact the Bureau of Elections at 1-800-292-5973