Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections ... · Minnesota Statutes 201.13 was updated...
Transcript of Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections ... · Minnesota Statutes 201.13 was updated...
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
ERIC
COA
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
Table of Contents
Introduction to COA
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SVRS Process
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COA Notice Examples
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COA FAQs
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SVRS Instructions: COA Express
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SVRS Instructions COA: Queued for Processing
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Manual In State and Out of State NCOA Processes
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SVRS Instructions: Manual NCOA In State
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SVRS Instructions: Manual NCOA Out of State
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Returned Mailings: Move Date Examples
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COA Best Practices
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
Introduction to COA: NCOA and ERIC
Minnesota Statutes permit the Office of the Secretary of State and County Auditors to use data from approved
sources to update voter records in SVRS. Two approved sources are NCOA (National Change of Address) and ERIC
(Electronic Registration Information Center). Together, they are known as COA or Change of Address.
NCOA The United States Postal Service (USPS) maintains a NCOA (National Change of Address) data base that consists of all
active Official Mail Forwarding Change of Address Orders on file. A forwarding order can be filed with the USPS to
indicate a change of address for an individual, family or business and indicates a temporary or permanent move. The
address change can be to a new address within or outside of Minnesota.
Minnesota Statutes 201.12 and 201.13 were updated in 2008 to allow the Office of the Secretary of State and
County Auditors to use NCOA data from permanent (in‐state or out‐of‐state) individual or family forwarding orders
to update voter records in SVRS. IMPORTANT: No business or temporary move data is used. The only NCOA data
being used in this process is from permanent (in‐state or out‐of‐state) individual or family forwarding orders.
On at least a monthly basis, the OSS sends a voter record data file from SVRS to a certified NCOA vendor for
comparison with permanent (in‐state or out‐of‐state) individual or family forwarding orders filed since the last
comparison. The vendor then returns the results of the comparison, indicating which voter records were an exact
match to active NCOA data on file.
ERIC The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is an organization that assists member states in keeping their
voter rolls accurate and up‐to‐date. Member states submit both Voter Registration and Driver’s License (from DPS)
data to ERIC. (The data does not originate from the Center.) ERIC uses a sophisticated matching program to provide
information back to each state. Data includes in‐state and out‐of‐state updates to voter records. (A voter has
changed their driver’s license or updated their voter registration in Minnesota or another participating state.)
Minnesota Statutes 201.13 was updated in 2014 to permit the Office of the Secretary of State and County Auditors
to use ERIC data to update voter records.
As of 2014, Minnesota is the 12th state to become a member of ERIC. Other member states include: Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington DC.
On a monthly basis, the OSS sends Voter Registration and Driver’s License data to ERIC. ERIC then returns the results
of the matching program, indicating which voter records have updated address information.
NCOA and ERIC data, (known together as COA or ‘change of address’) is loaded into SVRS through the COA Express
queue and Pending Applications>>Source COA Queued for Processing.
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
SVRS Process
Queueing Records/Applications OSS receives separate return files from the NCOA vendor and from ERIC. These files contain the voter record and
corresponding new address for the voter from the NCOA or ERIC data. This COA (Change of Address) data is
discarded when the application date or voter history on the corresponding voter record is more current than the
move date for that record. A change to M.S. 203.13 in 2014 allows the OSS to load data that is both precinctable
(the new address matches an address range in SVRS) and unprecinctable (the new address does not match an
address range in SVRS) for processing by the County Auditor.
The COA Express queue contains NCOA and ERIC in‐state and out‐of‐state change of address records that the system
could precinct. The Pending Applications source “COA: Queued for Processing” contains in‐state NCOA and ERIC
records that could not be precincted. Records in this queue are assigned to the county that has the greatest number
of address ranges for the city and zip code contained in the queued record. (Counties may want to review chronic
repeat addresses in this queue and update addresses ranges.)
In cases when there is an upcoming election, these records must be processed before rosters are printed to ensure
voters are registered at the most current address. No new COA data is loaded into SVRS within 47 days before a
State Primary or State General Election.
Updating SVRS Voter Records COA data for permanent in‐state moves is used to register any matching voter records at their new in‐state address.
Alternatively, COA data for permanent out‐of‐state moves are used to schedule any matching voter records for
inactivation. COA data is used to update an existing voter record. It never adds a totally new voter. After a voter
record is processed using either in‐state or out‐of‐state COA data, the voter is automatically sent a COA notice.
Separate notices are sent depending on whether the voter record was updated using in‐state or out‐of‐state COA
data. The in‐state COA notice is denoted by a green stripe and the out‐of‐state COA notice is yellow in color. (See
Example Notices on page 7.) The voter is given 21 days to inform the County Auditor if their voter record address
should not have been updated. The only exception is when the status of the voter record is Challenged – Felony,
Challenged – Guardianship, Challenged – Citizenship, Challenged – Name Change. Voter records with one of these
statuses are updated through the COA process, but they are not sent COA notices.
Manual COA: Updates The County Auditor will also receive change of address updates outside of SVRS through returned mail which
includes NCOA notification. When a nonforwardable election mailing sent to the voter is returned as undeliverable
with a permanent forwarding address, the County Auditor must manually update a voter record in SVRS. When an
in‐state permanent forwarding address is listed, the voter record is manually updated to the new address on the
returned mailing. When an out‐of‐state permanent forwarding address is listed, the voter record is manually
scheduled for inactivation.
Coordination between counties is required when the permanent forwarding address listed on the returned mailing
is located in a different county within Minnesota. This coordination should be done within 10 days of receiving the
returned mailing. The county initially receiving the returned mailing must scan and email, fax, or mail a copy of the
returned mailing to the county where the new permanent forwarding address is located.
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
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Manual COA: Processing Schedule When a nonforwardable election mailing is returned for a voter with a new permanent forwarding address, and
there is an election scheduled in the voter’s precinct within the next 47 days, the Manual COA update should be
processed within 10 days of either receiving a returned mailing or receiving a copy of a returned mailing from
another county.
If there is not an election scheduled in the voter’s precinct within the next 47 days, the County Auditor may wait for
the next data load to be loaded to SVRS before processing the Manual COA update. (There is a chance that an
electronic COA record may be loaded, eliminating the need for processing the Manual COA update.)
After either an in‐state or out‐of‐state manual update, the voter is sent one of the two COA notices. The notice
depends on whether the record was updated using in‐state or out‐of‐state COA data. The voter is then given 21 days
to inform the County Auditor if their voter record should not have been updated. The only exception is when the
status of the voter record is Challenged‐Felony, Challenged‐Guardianship, Challenged‐Citizenship, Challenged‐Name
Change. Voter records with one of these statuses are updated through the COA process, but they are not sent COA
notices.
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COA NOTICE IN STATE (GREEN STRIPE)
FRONT
BACK
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COA NOTICE OUT OF STATE (YELLOW)
FRONT
BACK
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
COA FAQs
Who performs the matching between the voter records and the COA data? NCOA Data Source: Only United States Postal Service certified vendors are able to perform matching to NCOA data.
The OSS has contracted with a USPS certified vendor to match voter records to NCOA data.
ERIC Data Source: The matching of Voter Registration and Driver’s License data within and among member states is
performed by the Electronic Registration Information Center.
How often will new COA data be loaded? New COA data will be loaded into SVRS on a monthly basis.
What criteria are used to match voter records to COA data? NCOA Data: The vendor matches on name and address. The address match includes the full, parsed address
including zip code. The name matches are performed in one of two ways depending on whether the forwarding
order is for an individual or for a family move. Name matching for individual moves are based on first name, middle
name, last name, and title. Nickname possibilities are also considered. Name matching for family moves are based
only on last name. In both cases we are only getting NCOA data back from the vendor that is considered a match to
an existing voter record.
ERIC Data: ERIC uses a complex matching system which looks at a variety of criteria (name, DOB, address, etc.) and
assigns it numerical score based on the data that matches. (E.g. Matching Name and Address = 2 points; Matching
Name and DOB = 3 points). States set the minimum matching score that they will accept. Minnesota has set a high
minimum score, meaning that there is ‘high confidence’ in the accuracy of the match. Only data that meets this
standard are loaded into SVRS.
What is the difference between Driver’s License data received through Source ERIC and Source DVS? The MN driver’s license application includes a section where the applicant can indicate they wish to also be
registered to vote. Applications with this indicator marked are transmitted electronically from DPS to the secretary
of state. (M.S. 201.161) This data is then loaded in SVRS and process by counties through the Pending Applications
Source: DVS. Apps from DVS may be for brand new voters or updates to existing voters. These differ from COA
Source: ERIC records. ERIC records are always for an existing voter record, and are the result of a comparison of
Department of Public Safety data and SVRS voter records, where DPS is found to have a more recent record for an
individual. (E.g. a person moved, updated for Driver’s License but did not check the ‘register me’ box on their DL
application, nor did they update their voter registration.)
How do we know the new COA address for a voter record will match what is in our precinct finder? The data files returned from the NCOA vendor and ERIC containing the voter record information and the
corresponding new address information is precincted using the precinct finder before any COA data is loaded into
SVRS. New COA data that can be precincted is queued in COA Express. New COA data that cannot be precincted is
queued in Pending Applications, Source COA: Queued for Processing and is assigned to the county that has the
greatest number of address ranges for the city and zip code contained in the queued record. (Counties may want to
review the chronic repeat addresses within this queue and fix SVRS address ranges so that they will precinct.)
What is used as the Application Date for records processed through the COA process? NCOA Records: The NCOA Move Date is used as the Application Date. This date is only indicated by month and year
without a day. For SVRS purposes, the day of the move will always be considered to be the first day of the month
that the move took place.
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
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ERIC Records: The date used for the SVRS Application date is the last update date to a Minnesota driver’s license.
When are records removed from the COA Express queue? Once new COA data is loaded into SVRS, all new address and corresponding voter record information appears in the
COA Express queue or Pending Applications>>Source COA. A record is removed from the particular queue once it is
processed from that queue or after the corresponding voter record is updated outside of the queue and the
Application Date is more current than the COA move data for that record.
After Election Day, in what order should I process records in the COA Express and Pending Applications queues versus EDRs? EDRs should be processed before processing the records in the COA Express queue or Pending Applications>>
Source COA queue. This helps make sure that voters are registered in the correct sequence/order before records in
the COA queues are processed.
How do I find the Move Date when performing the manual NCOA process? All yellow return labels that list a permanent forwarding address also list the move date. The move date is indicated
with a three‐digit number combination. The first digit is the month of the move and the next two digits are the year
of the move. A later section of this packet provides examples (beginning on page 18) of where the move date is
located on returned nonforwardable mailings.
How should I notify a county after receiving a returned nonforwardable election mailing for a voter with a permanent forwarding address located in their county? A copy of the returned nonforwardable election mailing with a permanent forwarding address should be sent by
email, fax or mail to the county were the new address is located. The county receiving the notification will then use
the new address information to update the voter record. Note: May need to move yellow sticker so as to not cover
any needed data before copying the returned mailing.
How are the COA notices queued and sent to voters? The COA notices are queued and sent in the same manner that PVCs are sent to voters. The COA notices are roughly
the same size as a PVC except that COA specified language is printed on the front and back of the notice.
Would a voter ever be sent both a PVC and a COA notice? No. When a voter record is updated through the COA process, they are sent a COA notice instead of a PVC. The COA
notice informs the voter either that their voter record was updated to the new address listed on their permanent
forwarding order/driver’s license or scheduled for inactivation because their forwarding order/driver’s license
indicates that they have moved outside of Minnesota. In both cases, the voter is informed that they have 21 days to
inform their County Auditor if their voter record should not have been updated.
Are there different in‐state and out‐of‐state COA notices? Yes. One of two COA notices are sent to a voter* depending on whether the voter record was updated to a new in‐
state address or scheduled for inactivation through COA (Source NCOA or ERIC). In‐state COA notices are printed on
white with a green stripe and sent as a nonforwardable mailing. Out‐of‐state COA notices are yellow in color and
are sent as a forwardable mailing. This ensures that the voter receives notification that their voter record in
Minnesota will be inactivated unless the contact the County Auditor within 21 days.
*For voter records a status of Challenged‐Felony, Challenged‐Guardianship, Challenged‐Name Change, or
Challenged‐Citizenship, the voter record is updated, but a COA notice (in‐state or out‐of‐state) is not sent.
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COA (Change of Address) data is loaded into SVRS on an at least monthly basis. The COA
data lists new addresses for individuals who:
have permanent forwarding orders on filewith the United States Postal Service.
(Source: NCOA) -OR-
have updated their driver’s license or voterregistration in MN or another state.
(Source: ERIC).
This new address information is then made available in the COA Express queue to update matching voter records.
Records in the COA Express queue should be processed before performing any manual COA updates and before printing any
rosters.
COA EXPRESS
1. Select COA Express under the VoterRegistration menu.
2. Use the search criteria to select the recordsdisplayed for processing.
The City dropdown list can be set to returnonly records for a specific city.
The Last Name search field can be used tolocate a specific record by the last name onthe voter record.
The # of Records to Return dropdown list canbe set to 10, 25, 50, or 100 depending on thenumber of records that you want to view andprocess at one time.
The In or Out of State dropdown menu can beset to:
All to return records with in state or out of state moves.
In state to only return records with in state address changes into your county.
Out of State to only return out of state moves.
The Family or Individual dropdown menu canbe set to:
All to return records listed as Family or Individual moves.
Family to return only records listed as family moves.
Individual to only return records listed as individual moves.
The Status dropdown list can be set to:
All to return both New and Held records.
New to only return new records that have not been processed or previously marked as Held.
Held to only return records that were previously not processed and marked as Held.
Note: All search criteria can be used in combination to refine search results.
3. Click Search.
4. In the search results, the first line shows thevoter record information and the second lineshows the COA data for that voter record.
5. Uncheck the box to the left of any records thatyou would like to not process and instead have marked as Held.
Note: Records marked as Held are available for review in the queue at a later time. Held records will remain unchecked until you decide to either check and process or reject the records. If searching with status set to All, Held records appear unchecked at the top of the queue.
6. The Reject button can be clicked topermanently remove a record from the COAExpress queue.
If rejecting a record, the system will require you to select a specific reason for rejecting the record.
Note: For example, a record would be rejected if you discover that an individual mistakenly selected Permanent instead of Temporary when filing their address change with the USPS.
7. Click Continue to process the checked records.
8. The COA Final Review Screen will list therecords that will be processed. If ok, clickSubmit. If not, click Back to return to the COAExpress queue.
COA EXPRESS
Rev. 04/02/2014
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9. For an In State move, a voter record will beregistered at the COA address listed on theline below the voter record. A notice will besent to the voter at the new address. The vot-er has 21 days to inform the auditor if theirrecord was updated in error.
See Reversing COA for instructions on how to reverse a COA update to a voter record.
For an Out of State move, a voter record will be scheduled to be inactivated in 21 days. A notice will be sent to the voter at the out of state address. The voter has 21 days to inform the auditor if their record was updated in error.
See Cancelling Inactivation for instructions on how to cancel a scheduled COA out of state inactivation.
For both in state and out of state moves, if the
voter record has a status of challenged-felony,
guardianship, citizenship, or name change, the
voter record is updated but no COA notice is
sent to the voter.
10. Repeat steps for any records remaining in theCOA Express queue.
REVERSING COA UPDATE
The voter is given 21 days to inform the
auditor if their record was updated in error.
The following steps can be used to reverse the
COA update to the voter record.
1. Select Voter Records under the Voter
Registration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
To do this enter the first three letters of the last
name plus an * into the Last Name Field and
the first three letters of the first name plus an *
into the First Name field.
Note: See the Search Voter Records
instructions on the SVRS User Documentation
page for more information on searching for
voter records in SVRS.
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voter
record.
5. Select the voter record from the search results
grid and click View.
6. Click the Reverse COA button.
7. Select a reason for the reversal from the
Reverse Reason dropdown list.
Note: For example, a voter may contact you
within 21 days to notify you that they
mistakenly selected Permanent instead of
Temporary when filing their forwarding order
with the USPS.
8. Click Submit.
Note: The voter record will be reversed back to
the status, address, and application dates on
the record before the COA update was made.
CANCELLING INACTIVATION
The voter is given 21 days to inform the
auditor if their record should not have
been scheduled for inactivation. The
following steps can be used to cancel a
COA related voter record
inactivation.
1. Select Voter Records under the Voter
Registration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
To do this enter the first three letters of the
last name plus an * into the Last Name
field, the first three letters of the first name
plus an * into the First Name field.
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voter
record.
5. Select the voter record from the search re-
sults grid and click View.
6. Click the Cancel COA button.
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7. Select a reason for the cancellation from the
Cancel Reason dropdown list.
Note: For example, a voter may contact you
within 21 days to notify you that they
mistakenly selected Permanent instead of
Temporary when filing their forwarding order
with the USPS. We only receive COA data for
permanent forwarding orders.
8. Click Submit.
Note: The comment on the voter record
regarding the scheduled inactivation is auto-
matically removed from the record.
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Processing Pending Apps Source: COA
COA (Change of Address) data is loaded into
SVRS on an at least monthly basis. The COA
data lists new addresses for registered voters
who:
have permanent forwarding orders on file
with the United States Postal Service.
(Source: NCOA) -OR-
have updated their driver’s license or
voter registration in MN. (Source: ERIC).
Source: COA Queued for Processing contains
In State NCOA and ERIC records that could
not be precincted by the system.
Records (applications) in the queue are
assigned to the county that has the greatest
number of address ranges for the city and zip
code contained in the queued record.
Records can be reassigned to a different
county as needed.
Tips:
Processing records by city may aid in
more easily identifying pending records
that will need to be reassigned. (E.g.
cross-county cities)
Have Polling Place Finder open when
processing pending records.
Note: The number of Pending COA records
queued is available on the SVRS Homepage un-
der Number of Pending Applications. Counts are
broken out by Source—ERIC and NCOA.
Rev. 04/02/2015
COA IN PENDING APPLICATIONS
1. Select Pending Applications under the Voter
Registration menu.
2. Select COA: Queued for Processing from the
dropdown list.
3. Click Search.
Note: To limit search results to records for a
specific city, select this city from the City
dropdown list and click Search.
4. SVRS will display the record with the oldest
application date and automatically conduct a
search for a matching SVRS voter record.
Notes:
Application data, including the Source (NCOA
or ERIC) is displayed directly below the
Application dropdown list.
To conduct a broader search, remove the DL
number and birthdate and click Search again.
5. Review the potential matches carefully. Select
the matching voter record and compare the
application date on the pending COA record to
the App Date on the voter record.
vs.
6. Click View Voter.
Select the Voting History tab.
Compare the application date on the pending
COA record to the last voting history Election
Date.
vs.
7. If Voter Record App Date or last voting history
Election Date is more current than the pending
COA Application Date, continue to step 8.
If Voter Record App Date or last voting history
Election Date is older than the pending COA
Application Date, skip to step 10.
8. Click Remove from Queue.
9. Complete the Reason for Removal field. Ex.
Older Application Date on COA.
Click Submit. (SVRS will return to the Search
screen.) Repeat Step 4.
10. Click Update Voter.
11. A side by side comparison of the pending COA
record and the existing voter record is dis-
played. Information that will be updated is
highlighted in blue.
12. Click Update Voter from Pending.
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updated in error.
See Reversing COA for instructions on how to
reverse a COA update to a voter record.
REASSIGNING COA RECORDS
In the event that the residence address of a
pending COA record does not fall within your
county, the pending record should be reassigned to
the correct county.
1. Use the Polling Place Finder at
http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us to determine
the county where the COA record should be
reassigned.
2. With the desired pending COA record populat-
ed in the Application dropdown list, click
Reassign.
3. Select the
appropriate county from the County dropdown
list.
4. Click Submit.
REVERSING COA UPDATE
The voter is given 21 days to inform the auditor if their record was updated in error. The following steps can be used to reverse the COA update to the voter record.
1. Select Voter Records under the Voter
Registration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
Note: See Search Voter Records
instructions in SVRS User Documentation for
more information on conducting voter record
searches.
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voter
record. Select the appropriate record from the
grid and click View.
5. Click the Reverse COA.
6. Select a reason for the reversal from the
Reverse Reason dropdown list.
Click Submit.
Note: The voter record will be reversed back
to the status, address, and application dates
on the record before the COA update was
made.
13. Because these records were originally
unprecinctable, it may be necessary to
modify the Residential Address in order for
the address to precinct.
For Example,
becomes
Review updated Residential Address section.
Make changes as necessary.
Note: If unsure what modifications are
needed, see Note next step.
14. Click Continue.
Note: When an address is invalid (address
does not fit into your county’s address rang-
es), SVRS will provide a list of streets that
exist in the county that you may select from.
The system may also provide an
alternative address(es) that you can
select.
15. Proof the Final Review screen. If the
information is accurate, click Submit.
If further modifications are necessary, click
Back to return to the Update screen.
16. SVRS will return to the search screen and
display a message confirming a Successful
Update for the voter.
A notice will be automatically sent to the
voter at their new address. The voter has 21
days to inform the auditor if their record was
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Manual In State and Out of State NCOA Processes
County receives nonforwardable elec on mailing returned as undeliverable
Check returned mailing for yellow return s cker with
forwarding address
Elec on mailing returned without
permanent forwarding address
Voter record challenged in SVRS
Voter record challenged, M.S. 201.12, subd. 4
Elec on mailing returned with permanent forwarding address
Review forwarding address, determine if in state or out of
state address
In state forwarding address
Review forwarding address, in state same county or in state out of county
In state forwarding address, same county
Out of state forwarding address
Follow Manual Out of State NCOA instruc ons to schedule the voter
record for inac va on in SVRS
SVRS automa cally sends COA no ce
(unless voter record status is Challenged—Felony, Guardianship,
Name Change or Ci zenship). Voter given 21 days to respond to cancel inac va on of voter
record
Voter responds within 21 days, requests to keep
previous address for voter registra on
Voter responds within 21 days, requests to keep
previous address for voter registra on
No response, SVRS inac vates
voter record a er 21 days
SVRS does not inac vate voter record a er 21 days
Follow Manual In State NCOA instruc ons to update voter record to new address in SVRS
In state forwarding address located in different county
May inac vate voter record in
SVRS
Scan/email, fax or mail copy of
undeliverable elec on returned with
forwarding address along with no ce to update voter record in SVRS to county where forwarding address is located
County where forwarding address is
located follows Manual NCOA instruc ons to update voter record to new address in SVRS
Follow Manual Out of State
instruc ons to cancel
inac va on of voter record in SVRS
SVRS automa cally sends COA no ce
(unless voter record status is Challenged—Felony, Guardianship,
Name Change or Ci zenship). Voter given 21 days to
respond to reverse address back to previous address
No response from voter
Voter record remains set to new address
Follow Manual In State instruc ons to reverse
address back to previous
address in SVRS
Voter record reverted back to previous address in SVRS
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M.S. 201.12 requires County Auditors to manually update a voter record when a nonforwardable election mailing sent to the voter is returned as undeliverable with a permanent forwarding address. When an in state permanent forwarding address is listed, the voter record must be manually updated to the new address on the returned mailing. When the permanent forwarding address is located in a different county within Minnesota, this requires coordination between counties. After the voter record is updated, the voter is sent a notice and given 21 days to inform the auditor if their record was updated in error.
Records in the COA Express queue and Pend-ing Applications >> Source COA should be pro-cessed before performing any manual NCOA updates. If there is an election scheduled in the voter’s precinct within 47 days, manual NCOA updates should be processed within 10 days of either receiving a returned mailing or receiving a copy of a returned mailing from another county. If there is not a scheduled election in the voter’s precinct within 47 days, it is possi-ble to wait until the next batch of COA data is loaded to SVRS before processing the manual NCOA update.
MANUAL NCOA – IN STATE
1. Select Voter Records under the VoterRegistration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
To do this enter the first three letters of the last name plus an * into the Last Name Field and the first three letters of the first name plus an * into the First Name field.
Note: See the Search Voter Records instructions on the SVRS User Documentation page for more information on searching for voter records in SVRS.
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voterrecord that needs updating.
5. Select the appropriate voter record from thesearch results grid and click Update.
Note: Inactive records should only be activated through Manual NCOA if move is between counties and previous county inactivated record before providing notification to the new county.
6. If the record is challenged, only Ch-PostalReturn should be removed. All otherchallenge reasons, like Felony, Citizenship,Guardianship or Name Change, etc., must beleft on the record, and cannot be removedthough the Manual NCOA process.
If the only challenge is Postal Return, the challenge can be removed, making the record active.
7. Select Returned In-State from the Sourcedropdown menu.
8. The current date is auto filled in the UpdatedRegistration Date field.
9. Locate the move date on the return label. Themove date will be three digits, the first digit isthe month of the move and the second twodigits are the year of the move. For SVRSpurposes, the day of the move is always thefirst of the month that the move took place.
Note: Examples of how to locate the move date can be found in the COA information packet.
10. Enter the Move Date into the Application Datefield.
11. If the Use NCOA Address button does notappear below Residential Address header, skipto step 12.
If the Use NCOA Address button appears with an available address, compare the NCOA address to the permanent forwarding address listed on the returned nonforwardable mail.
If the NCOA address does not match thepermanent forwarding address listed on the returned nonforwardable mailing, continue to step 12.
If the NCOA address matches thepermanent forwarding address listed on the returned nonforwardable mail, click Use NCOA Address. Skip to step 13.
Note: Using the NCOA address will remove the NCOA record from the COA Express queue.
12. Enter the permanent forwarding address fromthe returned nonforwardable mailing into theResidential Address fields.
Note: Leave city/zip fields blank and the precinct finder will associate the address with the correct precinct.
13. Click Continue.
14. Review the Update Voter Final Review Screen.
15. If ok, click Submit. If not, click Back and makecorrections as needed.
MANUAL NCOA IN STATE
Rev. 12-26-2014
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16. A COA notice is sent (unless the status of thevoter record is Challenged-Felony,Guardianship, Name Change or Citizenship)to the voter at their new address. The voterhas 21 days to inform the auditor if theirrecord was updated in error.
See Reversing COA for instructions on howto reverse a NCOA update to a voter record.
17. Repeat steps for additional records.
Reversing COA
The voter is given 21 days to inform the auditor if their record was updated in error. The following steps can be used to reverse the change of address (COA) update to the voter record.
1. Select Voter Records under the VoterRegistration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
To do this enter the first three letters of thelast name plus an * into the Last Name Fieldand the first three letters of the first name plusan * into the First Name field.Note: See the Search Voter Recordsinstructions on the SVRS User Documentationpage for more information on searching forvoter records in SVRS.
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voterrecord.
5. Select the voter record from the search resultsgrid and click View.
6. Click the Reverse COA button.
7. Select a reason for the reversal from theReverse Reason dropdown menu.Note: For example, a voter may contact youwithin 21 days to notify you that theymistakenly selected Permanent instead ofTemporary when filing their forwarding orderwith the USPS.
8. Click Submit.
Note: The voter record will be reversed back tothe status, address, and application dates onthe record before the COA update was made.
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M.S. 201.12 requires County Auditors to manually update a voter record when a nonforwardable election mailing sent to the voter is returned as undeliverable with a permanent forwarding address. When an out of state permanent forwarding address is listed, the auditor must manually schedule the voter record for inactivation. The voter is sent a notice (unless the status on the voter record is Challenged-Felony, Guardianship, Name Change or Citizenship) and given 21 days to inform the auditor if their voter record should not have been scheduled for inactivation.
Records in the COA Express queue and Pend-ing Applications >> Source COA should be processed before performing any manual NCOA updates. If there is an election scheduled in the voter’s precinct within 47 days, manual out of state NCOA correction should be processed within 10 days of either receiving a returned mailing. If there is not a scheduled election in the voter’s precinct with-in 47 days, it is possible to wait until the next batch of COA data is loaded to SVRS before processing the manual out of state NCOA.
MANUAL COA - OUT OF STATE
1. Select Voter Records under the VoterRegistration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
To do this enter the first three letters of the last name plus an * into the Last Name field and the first three letters of the first name plus an * into the First Name field.
Note: See the Search Voter Records instructions on the SVRS User Documentation page for more information on searching for voter records in SVRS that needs updating
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voterrecord.
5. Select the voter record from the search resultsgrid and click Correct.
6. Select Returned Out Of State from the Sourcedropdown list. Once selected, the New Out ofState Address fields will appear.
7. If the Use NCOA Address button does notappear below New Out of State Address, skipto step 8.
If the Use NCOA Address button does appear with an available address, compare the NCOA address to the out of state permanent forwarding address listed on the returned nonforwardable mailing.
If the NCOA address does not match thepermanent forwarding address listed on thereturned nonforwardable mailing, continueto step 8.
If the NCOA address matches thepermanent forwarding address listed on thereturned nonforwardable mailing, click UseNCOA Address. Skip to step 9.
Note: Using the NCOA address will remove the COA record from the COA Express queue.
8. Enter the out of state permanent forwardingaddress from the returned nonforwardablemailing into the New Out of State Addressfields.
9. Locate the move date on the return label. Themove date will be three digits, the first digit isthe month of the move and the second twodates are the year of the move.
Note: Examples of how to locate the move date can be found in the COA information packet.
10. Select the month and year of the move datefrom the Move Date dropdown lists.
11. Click Continue.
12. Review the Correct Voter Final Review screen.
13. If ok, click Submit. If not, click Back and makecorrections as needed.
Note: Upon Submit, a comment is automatically added to the comment field. The comment states when the record was scheduled for inactivation, when the record will be inactivated, and the out of state address.
14. The required COA notice will automatically besent to the voter at the out of stateaddress (unless the status of the voter record isChallenged-Felony, Guardianship, NameChange, or Citizenship) . The voter has 21 daysto inform the auditor if their record was updatedin error.
See Canceling Inactivation for instructions on how to cancel a scheduled NCOA out of state inactivation.
15. Repeat steps for additional records.
MANUAL NCOA OUT OF STATE
Rev. 07/20/2018
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CANCELING INACTIVATION
The voter is given 21 days to inform the auditor if their record should not have been scheduled for inactivation. The following steps can be used to cancel a COA (change of address) related voter record inactivation.
1. Select Voter Records under the VoterRegistration menu.
2. Search for the voter record.
To do this enter the first three letters of the last name plus an * into the Last Name field, the first three letters of the first name plus an * into the First Name field.
3. Click Search.
4. Review the search results grid for the voterrecord.
5. Select the voter record from the search resultsgrid and click View.
6. Click the Cancel COA button.
7. Select a reason for the cancellation from theCancel Reason dropdown list.
Note: For example, a voter may contact you with-in 21 days to notify you that they mistakenly selected Permanent instead of Tem-porary when filing their forwarding order with the USPS. We only receive COA data for permanent forwarding orders.
8. Click Submit.
Notes:
The comment on the voter record regarding the scheduled inactivation is automatically removed from the record.
The voter record’s status is reset to what the sta-tus was before the record was scheduled for inactivation.
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MOVE DATE ON YELLOW RETURN LABEL
Move Date
First digit is the month of themove
For Month: 1-9 is Jan-Sept,A is Oct, B is Nov, C is Dec
Second two digits are the yearof the move
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MOVE DATE ON YELLOW RETURN LABEL
Move Date
First digit is the month of themove
For Month: 1-9 is Jan-Sept,A is Oct, B is Nov, C is Dec
Second two digits are the yearof the move
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MOVE DATE ON YELLOW RETURN LABEL
Move Date
First digit is the month of themove
For Month: 1-9 is Jan-Sept,A is Oct, B is Nov, C is Dec
Second two digits are the yearof the move
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
COA Best Practices
Processing EDRs versus COA after an Election: Always process Election Day Registrations (EDRs) before processing anything from COA.
o This includes: SVRS queues ‐ COA Express, Pending Apps >> COA as well as returned election mail.
Generally, it is best to process COA‐related items last.
Providing proper notification to a new county after a nonforwardable election mailing is returned listing a new permanent forwarding address in a different county:
A copy of the returned nonforwardable election mail should be sent to the new county by scan/email, fax or
standard mail as notification.
Before sending the notification to the new county, verify that the move date on the yellow return label is
more current than the application date on the voter record and the last instance of voting history.
o The voter record cannot be updated by the new county to the address listed on the return label
unless the move date is newer than both the last instance of voting history and the application date
on the voter record.
If the move date is not the most current date, the record should be challenged as you would with a returned
nonforwardable that does not list a permanent forwarding address on the return label.
M.S. 201.12 provides county that received the returned nonforwardable mailing the option of inactivating
the voter record before providing notification to the new county, but this should only be done if the move
date is the most current date.
Use the precinct finder (http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us) to verify the county in which the new address is
located.
May need to move yellow return label so new county is able to see the voter name and previous address
information on the front of the returned mailing.
Keep the original returned mail for internal records. As with voter registration applications, record should be
retained for 22 months.
Handling a notification from another county when the voter record is listed in SVRS as Inactive: Inactive records should only be activated through the Manual NCOA process if the move is between counties
and the previous county inactivated the record, as allowed by M.S. 201.12 before forwarding the returned
mailing to your county.
Handling nonforwardable election mailings returned as undeliverable with a PO Box located in a new county listed on the yellow return label:
Notification should not be provided to the new county.
This type of returned mailing would be processed like a PVC that is returned as undeliverable without a new
permanent address listed on the yellow return label.
Handling in‐state COA notices (green stripe) returned as undeliverable with a PO Box listed on the yellow return label:
These returned notices cannot be processed through the Manual NCOA process because a PO Box is not a
residential address.
The returned COA notice should be processed like a returned PVC that does not list a new permanent
forwarding address.
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State–Elections Division
Revised April 2015
In the case that the residential address on the voter record cannot receive mail, the PO Box may be entered
as a mailing address on the voter record according to your county process for handling PO Boxes.
Handling an out‐of‐state COA notice (yellow stripe) that has been returned as undeliverable: Look up the voter record in SVRS.
Cancel the pending inactivation or reverse the inactivation.
Queue a standard PVC to be sent to the Minnesota address on the voter record.
If the PVC is returned as undeliverable, challenge the voter record.
Receiving a notification from an individual other than the voter that they have received a COA notice, (green in‐state or yellow out‐of‐state), for an individual that does not live at their address:
CANNOT discuss a voter record with an individual who is not the voter.
o Instruct individual to mark the card “Not at this Address” and return the notification to Post Office.
(Warn individual who lives at address that PVC will arrive and for them to return to Post Office as
before.)
Upon receipt of undeliverable notice by county, look up the voter record in SVRS.
Update the voter record to Challenged – Postal Return.
Queue standard PVC to be sent to address.
Inactivate voter record upon return of PVC.
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RETURNED PVC BEST PRACTICES, NO NCOA PERMANENT FORWARDING ADDRESS
Reason returned from yellow sticker on PVC Return Reason (in Returned PVCs in SVRS)Change status to (in Returned
PVCs in SVRS)
Resend
PVC
Number of days until
second PVC is sent (if
second PVC is sent)
Inactive after
1st PVC
comes back
Inactive after 2nd
PVC comes backNotes
attempted not known no such address - undeliverable challenged postal return yes 60 no yes
deceased
Verify death by another method before
processing.
insufficient address undeliverable challenged postal return yes other no yes
Additional research needed to
determine problem with address.
moved left no address undeliverable challenged postal return yes 60 no yes
no such number undeliverable challenged postal return yes other yes
challenge postal return after additional
research is done to see if deficient
registration.
no such person at this address other challenged postal return no no no
not deliverable as address undeliverable challenged postal return yes 60 yes
po box
Additional research may be needed.
Procedure for handling returned PVC
depends on county use of PO Boxes.
return to sender undeliverable challenged postal return yes 60 yes
temporarily away temporarily undeliverable active yes 60 no
Resend 2nd PVC within 60 days or
based on timing.
unable to forward undeliverable challenged postal return yes 60 no yes
vacant undeliverable challenged postal return yes 60 yes
60temporarily undeliverable active yes other yesundeliverable challenged postal return no noin state forwarding address - undeliverable inactive - usps forwarding addressout of state forwarding address - undeliverable inactive - postal returnno such address - undeliverable challenge - name/addressother
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Reason returned from yellow
sticker on Returned Election
Mailing
Changes to voter record in SVRSNotification to other
countyAction by other county Notification to voter Notes
address change within county,
forwarding address listed
Using Update, voter record
source changed to Returned In-
State and voter's address
udated to forwarding address.
Notice automatically sent to
voter. Voter can contact
county within 21 days if
address changed in error.
Additional option (if not
within 47 days of an
election): wait until next
set of COA data is
queued in SVRS.
address change outside
county, forwarding address
listed
Change record status to
Inactive .
Scan/Email, fax or mail
copy of returned
PVC/election mailing to
county where forwarding
address is located.
Upon receipt of
notification, second
county updates voter's
address in SVRS to
forwarding address.
Notice automatically sent to
voter. Voter can contact
county within 21 days if
address changed in error.
moved out of state,
forwarding address listed
Using Correct, voter record
source changed to Returned Out-
Of-State and out of state address
entered into New Out of State
Address fields.
Notice automatically sent to
voter. Voter can contact
county within 21 days if
address changed in error.
Additional option (if not
within 47 days of an
election): wait until next
set of COA data is
queued in SVRS.
same address different
apartment number,
forwarding address listed
Using Update, voter record
source changed to Returned In-
State and voter's address
udated to forwarding address.
Notice automatically sent to
voter. Voter can contact
county within 21 days if
address changed in error.
RETURNED ELECTION MAILING WITH NCOA PERMANENT FORWARDING ADDRESS
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