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JAN BREWER
SECRETARY OF STATE
STATE OF ARIZONA
November 24, 2008
Hand- Delivered
Honorable Tim Bee
Senate President
Arizona State Senate
1700 West Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Dear President Bee:
Pursuant to A. R. S. § 16- 407( 0), I submit the following review of the 2007 Election
Officer Education, Training and Certification Program and a plan for the upcoming 2009
program.
Participation in the 2007 Program
The 2007 Advisory Committee members were:
Kris Waite, Assistant State Election Director, Training Co- Coordinator
Barbara Bailey - Assistant Attorney General
Judy Dickerson - Graham County Election Director
The Honorable Helen Purcell - Maricopa County Recorder
The Honorable Ana Wayman- Trujillo - Yavapai County Recorder
Upon completion of the 2007 Election Officer Certification Program, the Secretary of
State issued 318 diplomas to Arizona election officials. Certificates of Attendance were also
presented to 29 attendees. Those certified to perform official election duties for the 2008
elections include the following:
• 14 county recorders who voluntarily completed the program
• 9 chief deputy county recorders
• 15 county election directors
• 7 clerks of the board of supervisors ( two of these clerks also serve as election
director in their counties)
• 2 county attorneys
• 16 city I town clerks
Other election officials receiving certification include staff members of county election
departments, recorders' offices, board of supervisor's offices, county attorney's offices, county
school superintendent offices, data processing departments, deputy city clerks, staff attorneys
State Capitol: 1700 West Washington Street, 7th Floor
Phoenix, Arizona 85007- 2888
Telephone ( 602) 542- 4285 Fax ( 602) 542- 1575
( Honorable Tim Bee
Senate President
November 24, 2008
Page 2 of 4
from Legislative Council and the House and Senate, a member of the Citizens Clean Elections
Commission, members of the Secretary of State's office as well as election officials from the
Pascua Yaqui Indian tribe.
2007 Initial Certification
In 2007 persons seeking initial certification as an election officer were required to have 39 hours
of election I voter registration training. Of the 35 hours, 29 consisted of a core curriculum
focused on the basics of election administration. These mandatory weeklong training sessions
included:
• Secretary of State's Procedures Manual
• Building blocks of an election
• Voter registration basics
• VRAZ- II statewide voter registration system
• Election law including the Arizona & U. S. Constitutions, Arizona Statutes, court
opinions, county attorney & Attorney General opinions
• Planning an election calendar & using it
• Political Party Recognition
• Presidential Preference Election
• Contracting services with cities, special districts & school districts
• Candidate filing requirements & nomination petition challenges
• Ballot layout- Optical Ballot & Optical Scan Equipment
• Ballot Layout- Touch Screens & Accessible Voting Devices
• Early voting procedures including the Open Primary
• Military & Overseas Voters
• Department of Justice Preclearance; Voting Rights Act of 1965
• Federal Compliance: Interpreters and Outreach
• Demonstration - mock polling place election board
• Poll Worker Training
• Election Day Techniciansl Troubleshooters
• Assisting Voters with Disabilities & ADA compliance at the polling place
• Polling Place 101
• ID at the Pollsl Provisional Ballot Procedures
• Processing provisional ballots after the election
• Districtingl Precinctingl GIS
• Campaign Finance Law
• Campaign Finance County Perspective
• Processing Clean Election Slips
• Initiative Referendum & Recall Law
• Initiative Referendum & Recall Formsl Practical Procedures
• County Perspective on Initiative Referendum & Recall Processing
• Reporting Results on Election Night
• Preparation of the Election Canvass
• Election & Voting Security
• Honorable Tim Bee
Senate President
November 24, 2008
Page 3 of 4
• Post election: Automatic Recounts & Contests! Hand Counts
• Hand Counts & Audits: Practical Application
• Tours & demonstrations of the Maricopa County Tabulation & Election Center
• Media Relations
• Communication
• Ethics
• 2007 Legislation
Based on the recommendation of the committee, two 29- hour initial certification classes
were held in Phoenix -- one the week of June 18- 22, 2007 and the other the week of July 9- 13,
2007. Both classes were well attended. During the week each participant was required to
spend four hours using a wheelchair in order to reinforce the training. received in the disability
awareness segment of each session.
At the end of each week, participants were required to pass a comprehensive final
exam. This exam had 80 multiple choice, true false, and fill in the blank questions worth one
point each. The test also included a short answer section worth 5 points. The committee
suggested the continuation of an open book test because the ability to find the answer to a
question is much more important than memorizing the answers in a field where election laws
and procedures change so frequently.
I am very pleased to report that each person who attended the initial certification class
passed the test. In an attempt to make the process stronger, the participant's test was sent to
his or her county recorder, election director, city clerk, or agency director in order to allow for
review and additional training at the local level. The committee felt this extra step allowed the
local supervisor to focus on areas where their employee may need additional assistance. This
effort was well received and appreciated by the county recorders and election directors.
In addition to attending the initial training and passing the open- book test, each person
was also required to attend a ten- hour re- certification class held later in the year before
receiving Arizona Election Officer Certification.
Re.. Certification Requirements
Attendance at a ten- hour re- certification class was required for those individuals who
were previously certified in 2005. Re- certification classes were held in four counties: Coconino
( 1), Maricopa ( 2), Pima ( 2) & Yavapai ( 1) for a total of six sessions. These sessions, held
between August 22, 2007 and September 28, 2007, were well attended and the feedback from
the election officials was positive. These mandatory classes covered the following curriculum:
• Update on new laws including statutes, court cases, Constitutional amendments &
Attorney General opinions
• ADA Training, Compliance, Awareness & Accessibility
• Voting Equipment, Standards, Certification, Security, Logic and Accuracy Testing
• Voter Registration, VRAZ- II, Proof of Citizenship, New Registration Form
• Reporting Voter Registration Statistics
• Polling Place Procedures, ID at the Polls, Provisional Ballots, Wait Times
• Honorable Tim Bee
Senate President
November 24, 2008
Page 4 of 4
• Poll Worker Training
• Hand Counts and Audits
• Canvassing a statewide election
• Presidential Preference Election
• Electoral College
In addition to the Election Officer Education, Training and Certification Program offered
by the Secretary of State, Arizona election officials are also encouraged to attend election
training offered by professional associations for recorders, clerks and election officials.
2009 Program
In January of 2009, I will appoint a new Advisory Committee to begin laying out the
requirements and curriculum for the 2009 certification program. The curriculum will not be
finalized until later in the year, but I anticipate the 2009 training to include classes on election
law changes, poll worker training, hand count procedures, election equipment certification,
security of ballots and voting machines, revisions to the Procedures Manual, the statewide voter
registration system ( VRAZ- II), administration of a presidential preference election, and ethics.
The 2008 election cycle went very well in Arizona and much of this success can be
directly attributed to the quality of election officials in our state. I firmly believe that the Election
Officer Education, Training and Certification Program factors in to this success and I look
forward to the 2009 classes.
If you have questions about this report or the certification program in general, please feel
free to contact Joe Kanefield, State Election Director, at 602/ 542- 6167.
Very truly yours,
Janice K. Brewer
Secretary of State
JB/ kcw
