Election judges complete training with County Clerk for Nov. 8 election

By Dave Marner, Managing Editor
Posted 10/19/22

Three weeks from today, results of Missouri’s Nov. 8 “mid-term” General Election   will be known.

This past Wednesday, 20 Gasconade County residents from Rosebud, Bland, …

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Election judges complete training with County Clerk for Nov. 8 election

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Three weeks from today, results of Missouri’s Nov. 8 “mid-term” General Election  will be known.

This past Wednesday, 20 Gasconade County residents from Rosebud, Bland, Owensville and Hermann went through a two-hour training session to become election judges at one of the county’s 16 polling precincts. Gasconade County Clerk Lesa Lietzow and her two deputy clerks earlier this year conducted training sessions in Owensville and Hermann where 64 judges received training.

The Oct. 12 session at the site of Owensville’s Ward 1 precinct, First Assembly of God Church, included hands-on instruction on setting up, maintaining as needed, and closing down of the voting machines.

Election judges should be prepared to be set up and operational by 5:30 a.m. on the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election day. 

“The first votes can drop at 6 a.m.,” said Lietzow.

She said she or her staff would drop off equipment on Monday and wanted to meet then with those handling supervisory roles to help set up the equipment. Supervisors, one from each party, will be responsible for delivering the voted ballots and equipment back to the courthouse in Hermann after polls closed at 7 p.m.

These supervisors — one Republican judge and one Democrat judge — will ride together back to the courthouse from each precinct to deliver the voting machines with voted ballots, and the locked bag containing any spoiled ballots, and the sealed envelopes containing provisional ballots, back to the courthouse. 

A supervisory judge selected among each precinct will be responsible for taking home the building key and the key to the locked bag included with the election supplies the night before the election.

Everyone working a precinct begins the election day swearing an oath to abide by all election laws. Spoiled ballots, those marked incorrectly (circling a name, or making two selection instead of one) are to be marked as spoiled with all four election judges signing off that they were ruined and not part of the vote tally. Spoiled ballots are returned to the courthouse in a locked bag.

“This is the most important document in this book you will fill out,” Lietzow said about the documenting of spoiled ballots.

People make mistakes casting ballots, she noted. They circle a name instead of filling in an oval. Spoil the ballot and get the voter a new ballot to fill out correctly.

The vote tabulation machine will automatically reject a ballot which is filled out with incorrect markings or if someone votes for two candidates or votes yes and no on a yes or no question.

 Lietzow also fielded numerous “what if” questions on about every imaginable problem a precinct judge might have on an election day.

“Voter ID is the law”

With the Nov. 8 election, Missouri’s Voter ID law is in effect. 

If someone does not have identification with their photograph on it, they may cast a provisional ballot. That ballot, once voted, goes into the sealed envelope then a locked bag and is returned to the courthouse. All provisional ballots are counted at the courthouse on election night by “bi-partisan” poll judges. Votes will be counted if the clerk and her staff are able to verify the voter’s signature from an existing voter registration form.

The voter receives a tear-off receipt from the envelope signifying they cast a provisional ballot.

The Missouri Department of Revenue, through its local license fee offices, will provide one free non-driver photo ID card. It will have an expiration date much like a driver’s license does.

Lietzow noted you can not use an expired driver’s license.

The Owensville License Fee office has the non-drivers license option available as a form of acceptable photo identification for voting. You must present a birth certificate, a Social Security card, and a piece of mail (utility bill) with your name and address on it to obtain one. It will take 10 to 15 business days to obtain the finished ID card in the mail. 

However, you will walk out the door with a temporary ID with a photograph on it in paper form. That will be acceptable to vote, Lietzow told election judges.

Registration issues

Tuesday, Oct. 12, was the last day to register to vote.

However, Lietzow said election judges will face several possible scenarios on Nov. 8 from voters who are legally registered to vote but are perhaps not at the right precinct.

If someone is registered to vote in another Missouri county,  but not in Gasconade County, the poll judges are instructed to call the clerk’s office. 

If they are registered to vote in Missouri, a change in their status can be made by the clerk on election day to allow them to vote.

If they are registered to vote in Gasconade County, but they have moved, the clerk’s office can direct them to their correct precinct and they can vote at their new location.

The voter will be required to fill out a change of address form.

“We’ll get them to the right place if they’re registered in Gasconade County,” said Lietzow.

A question was asked about what happens if someone’s name changed due to marriage or divorce.

Lietzow said a voter is allowed to vote once under an old name. She told judges to have them sign the change of name form which will create a new signature to accompany their new name.

Lietzow reminded election judges that Missouri uses “second chance voting machines” which will reject an over-voted ballot (two selection instead of one, or circling names and/or ovals when they should be filled in with the marker).

“The machines are designed to reject the ballots,” she said. “Spoil the ballot and given them a new one.”

It is also acceptable, she reminded judges, to offer “curb-side” voting services to someone who has a medical issue — recent surgery — or some physical issue which would preclude them from easy access into the polling station.

One judge from each party would take the ballot to the person’s car. The voter can authorize the person who brought them to the polling precinct to take the ballot inside the building and run it through the machine or grant authority to the election judges to do it for them if they wish.

“Curb-side voting is allowed,” said Lietzow. 

There are also press-button machines for vote selections if someone has limited abilities to use their hands and headphone readers for those with sight loss.