[Fwd: RE: HAVA Voter Registration data availability]

[Matt Price]

hi,
ND, which does not register voters, does have a voter list but only
releases it to PACs and parties. is any of the entities with which we
are associated a PAC? how is that category defined, anyway?

m

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Danette Odenbach <dode...@ndaco.org>
To: Matt Price <matt....@utoronto.ca>
Subject: RE: HAVA Voter Registration data availability
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:07:40 -0500

Hi Matt,

We do keep a central voter file, however, by law we are only able to release them to political parties, candidates and political action committees. I do not administer the central voter file, but can direct you to Steve Bourgois at the Secretary of State's office, who does. Unfortunately, I am certain Steve will tell you the same thing.

The only way for you to get the records of who has voted as a non-political entity is to request photocopies of the paper pollbooks from each of North Dakota's 53 counties. That would include a TON of manual data entry to accomplish your goal, but if you have the staff...

Sorry to not be more helpful. If you would like to discuss it with Steve, his email is stbou...@nd.gov and he can be reached via phone at 701.328.2900.

Danette

________________________________________
From: Matt Price [matt....@utoronto.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:52 PM
To: Danette Odenbach
Subject: RE: HAVA Voter Registration data availability

Danette,

We've been thinking about the North Dakota problem and thought that if
voter lists of any kind are maintained, we might at least be able to use
them to mimic the registration data we're collecting from other states.
Do you keep electronic records of who has voted in particular elections?
If you do keep them, is there a way to obtain them?

Thanks again for your help! Look forward to hearing from you,

Matt

On Sun, 2008-09-07 at 19:03 -0500, Danette Odenbach wrote:
> Mr. Price,
>
> There is a good reason you have not yet been able to find registration data for North Dakota... we do not have voter registration. That either just made your day or threw a monkey wrench into your work! North Dakota is the only state in the country that does not have voter registration in any form; our voters simply show up at the polls (or apply for an absentee) to cast their ballot. We do request our voters to show ID to verify their person and their residential address, but allow voters to fill out affidavits in lieu of showing ID.
>
> To qualify to vote in North Dakota, voters are required to:
> 1) Be at least 18 years of age
> 2) Be a US citizen
> 3) Be a resident of the precinct where they are voting for at least 30 days prior to Election
>
> If anyone's eligibility is in question by poll worker or watchers an affidavit is filled out and signed by that voter. All affidavits are required by law to be verified post-election and any false statements are subject to prosecution by the State's Attorney of the county where the vote was cast.
>
> It is important to note North Dakota is a very rural state with a small population. Over half, 29 to be exact, of our 53 counties have less than 5000 total residents, and in most precincts the poll workers know all the people eligible to vote.
>
> I hope this information is helpful to you as you continue your work. If you would like additional information or if there is any way you believe we could help you achieve your original goal, please feel free to contact me via any of the options below.
>
> Thanks ~
>
> Danette Odenbach
> HAVA Coordinator
> North Dakota Association of Counties
> PO Box 877
> Bismarck, ND 58502-0877
> (701) 328-7318 office
> (701) 328-7308 fax
> dode...@ndaco.org
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Matt Price [matt....@utoronto.ca]
> Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2008 7:14 PM
> To: Danette Odenbach
> Subject: HAVA Voter Registration data availability
>
> Dear Ms. Odenbach,
>
> I'm currently working on a project for the non-profit
> http://www.watchdog.net, a website that promotes government
> transparency. Currently, our website helps users find their district and
> representative as well as the representative's voting history and
> district census information. We would like to augment this service with
> more specific data about voter registration history, especially
> district-level data on party affiliation, heat maps of voter
> registration density, and in future other statistical operations.
>
> As you know, this data generally exists in the state voter registration
> databases mandated by HAVA. However, we have not yet been able to find
> a way to access it in North Dakota. We would be grateful if you could
> provide us with either a web address from which this data can be
> downloaded directly, or instructions for ordering copies of it.
>
> We very much appreciate your assistance in this matter.
>
> Thanks and best regards,
>
> Matt Price
> watchdog.net
> --
> Matt Price
> matt....@utoronto.ca
--
Matt Price
matt....@utoronto.ca
--
Matt Price
matt....@utoronto.ca

[Aaron Swartz]

Change Congress has a PAC (it requires filing with the FEC and
disclosing all expenditures and contributions). I'll ask them if they
can help.

[Aaron Swartz]

I just remembered I'm treasurer of the PAC, so I filed the request myself.

[Matt Price]

thanks aaron!
matt

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Matt Price
matt....@utoronto.ca

[Dan Diebolt]

This may be hard for some to beleive but North Dakota is exempt from HAVA because they abolished voter registration in 1951 and therefor fall outside of HAVA requirement to have a centralized voter database if the state does not register voters. There may still also be other jurisdictions (eg cities etc) in other states that don't require registration. Read on:

 

North Dakota is the only state without voter registration. There are several states that register voters on Election Day, which is known as same-day registration.

 

Although North Dakota was one of the first states to adopt voter registration prior to the turn of the century, it abolished it in 1951. It is also worth noting that North Dakota law still provides cities with the ability to register voters for city elections. However, only one city registers its voters for city elections - Medora - a small city located in southwestern North Dakota.

 

North Dakota is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota's system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct. This network of small precincts reduces the need for voter registration.

http://www.nd.gov/sos/forms/pdf/votereg.pdf