Electronic File Reporting Relating to Absentee Ballot Request Information, Voting Activity, and Election Results

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Division of Elections

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

1S-2.043Electronic File Reporting Relating to Absentee Ballot Request Information, Voting Activity, and Election Results

NOTICE OF CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 41 No. 145, July 28, 2015 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.

1S-2.043(3)(b)3. changes as follows:

3. For a special election, by operation of Section 100.191, Florida Statutes, the first file shall be transmitted 60 days before the special primary or if the order calling for the special election occurs less than 60 days before the special primary, no later than two business days after the Division provides the Supervisor the election identifications for the special primary and special election, and the last file transmitted on the 15th day after the special election.

(3)(c)5. changes as follows:

5. Information required by statute and other information deemed necessary by the Supervisor for each record shall be submitted in the format specified in Form DS-DE 145 (eff.    /2015) (insert hyperlink). The information in each record of the file shall be in the following specified format:

Table 1 Absentee Ballot Request Information File Layout
Data Element Name	Description	TranRead	Data Format Rules
RecordType	Absenteee Ballot Request StatusAbStat	Y	“AbStat”
CountyId	County providing summary		Char(3) Use FVRS county codes
FVRSVoterIdNumber	FVRS Voter Id Number	Y	Numeric (10)
FVRSElectionNumber	FVRS Election identifier	Y	Numeric (10)
ElectionDate	Date of the election	Y	MM/DD/YYYY
ElectionName	Name of Election	Y	Char(35)
LastAbsRecordChangeDate	Date the absentee summary record was last updated	Y	MM/DD/YYYY
AbsenteeRequestStatus	Applicable codes for reporting purposes: C: Use when a voter cancels a request for absentee ballot. E: Use when there is any voter-caused error in a returned absentee ballot other than a failure to sign the Voter’s Certificate. N: Use when a voter returns an absentee ballot with no signature on the Voter’s Certificate. P:  Use when the absentee ballot is provided to the voter by any proper means of delivery (mail, fax, etc.). (Only record one ballot provided per voter.) R:  Use when the supervisor has processed an absentee ballot request and determined that the voter is eligible to vote by absentee for that election. S:  Use when a voter has or makes a standing request to receive an absentee ballot for all elections occurring from the date of the request through the end of the calendar year for the second ensuing regularly next scheduled general election.  (Once the supervisor determines that the voter is eligible to vote by absentee in a particular election, the status of the standing request for that election is recorded as “R”.) U: Use when an absentee ballot is returned as undeliverable to the address where it was sent. V: Use when a voted absentee ballot is returned and received in the supervisor’s office and does not otherwise fall into a status code of E, N, or U.   NOTE:  The code for each voter shall be updated daily so that each voter has only one code associated with the voter’s record.  For example, a prior report for a voter reflecting an “S” will be changed on a subsequent report to an “R” if the voter is determined eligible to vote in the election.  The reporting code for that voter may then be changed, for example, to “P”, which may then be subsequently changed to a status of “E”, “N”, “U”, or “V”.	Y	Char(1) C: Cancelled by the Voter E: Voter Error N: Unsigned M: Mailed P: Provided R: Requested S: Standing U: Returned Undeliverable V: Voted
AbsReqDate		Y	MM/DD/YYYY
AbsDelivery Date			MM/DD/YYYY
AbsReturnDate			MM/DD/YYYY
AbsReqCanceledDate			MM/DD/YYYY
AbsMilitary			Char (1)  Y, N
AbsOverseasFlag			Char (1) Y, N
AbsMilitary Dependent			Char (1) Y, N
Precinct			Char (6)
PrecinctSplit			Char (10)
CongressionalDistrict			Numeric (2)
SenateDistrict			Numeric (2)
HouseDistrict			Numeric (3)
CountyCommissionDistrict			Char (10)
SchoolBoardDistrict			Char (10)
OtherDistricts			Char (25)
Abs Party			Char (3)
Voter Name			Char (99)
AbsReqMailingAddressLine 1			Char (40)
AbsReqMailingAddressLine 2			Char (40)
AbsReqMailingAddressLine 3			Char (40)
AbsReqMailingAddress City			Char (40)
AbsReqMailingAddress State			Char (2)
AbsReqMailingAddressZip			Char (15)
AbsReqMailingAddressCountry			Char (40)
AbsReqE-mailAddress AbsReqE-mailingAddress			Char (100)
AbsReqFaxnumber			Char (20)

 

(3)(c)6. changes as follows:

65. File names shall adhere to the following convention:

a. Three character county identifier followed by underscore.

b. Followed by three character file type identifier followed by an underscore (‘ABL’ = Absentee Request List).

c. Followed by FVRS election ID followed by an underscore.

d. Followed by Date Created (format YYYYMMDD) followed by an underscore.

ef. Followed by Time Created (format HHMMSS).

fg. Followed by ‘.txt’.

gh. Example: LEO_ABL_10217_20140810_001000.txt.

(3)(d)1. and 2. changes as follows:

1. Any person or entity authorized under Section 101.62, F.S., may access online daily county files of absentee ballot request information as directly received from the Supervisor and posted on the Division’s website. In order to access this information, a person or entity authorized under Section 101.62, F.S., must first submit an online request application, Form DS-DE 146, Application to Obtain Absentee Ballot Request Information (eff.   /2015) (insert hyperlink)form DS DE #70, entitled “Access Application for Absentee Ballot Request Information” (eff. 2/10). The Division shall then assign a login account a username and password. Authorization for access is only valid through the earlier of the end of the general election year in which authorization was initially granted or until the person or entity is no longer statutorily entitled to the information for one general election cycle. All login accounts for access automatically expire at the end of each general election year and if the person or entity remains eligible and wishes to receive the information for future elections, the person or entity must reapply.  In the event, the online application system is nonfunctioning, an applicant may alternatively submit an application to access the information using Form DS DE #70, entitled Access Application for Absentee Ballot Request Information” (eff.     02/10). This form is incorporated by reference and is available by contacting the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, R. A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250, [phone], or by access to the Division website at: http://election.dos.state.fl.us. 

2.3. An individual voter requesting access to his or her personal absentee ballot request information must obtain such information directly from the Supervisor of his or her county of residence.

(4)(b) changes as follows:

(b) File transmission. The Supervisor shall transmit to the Division the electronic files in subparagraph (a)2. no later than 12:00 nNoon in the time zone of the Supervisor’s office of the day after the day being reported. The files shall be sent daily even if there is no new information or activity to report. The first file shall be sent the day after the early voting period begins and the last file shall be sent the day after the  early voting period ends for that respective election in that county.

(4)(c)(1) changes as follows:

1. The file shall be created in or converted into a tab-delimited text file format.

(4)(c)(4) changes as follows:

4. Information required by statute and any other information for each record shall be submitted in the format specified in Form DS-DE 147 (eff.   /2015) (insert hyperlink).Each record in the file must contain the following information in the specified format for each voter who is recorded as having voted early by the time the file is prepared:

Table 23 Early Voting Voters List Summary File Layout
Data Element Name		TranRead	Data Format Rules
RecordType	EVtrs	Y	“EVtrs”
CountyId	County providing summary		Char (3) Use FVRS county codes
FvrsElectionNumber	Fvrs Election identifier	Y	Numeric
ElectionDate	Date of the Election	Y	MM/DD/YYYY
ElectionName	Name of Election	Y	Char (35)
FvrsVoterIdNumber		Y	Numeric
VoterName		Y	Char (60)
EVPrecinct			Char (6)
PrecinctSplit			Char (10)
CongressionalDistrict			Numeric (2)
SenateDistrict			Numeric (2)
HouseDistrict			Numeric (3)
CountyCommissionDistrict			Char (10)
SchoolBoardDistrict			Char (10)
OtherDistricts			Char (25)
EV Party			Char (3)
Location	Location of Early Voting	Y	Char (35)
DateofEarlyVote	Date voter cast ballot	Y	MM/DD/YYYY

 

(5) is added as follows:

(5) All forms mentioned in this rule are incorporated by reference and are available by contacting the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, R. A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250, [phone], or by access to the Division website.