Voter Registration

Revised January 9, 2017

Purpose:

This section describes a person’s right to register to vote and explains how we help people register.

Clarifying Information

  1. Give people a choice to register to vote when any of the following triggering events occur:
    1. At application
    2. Eligibility review
    3. Recertification 
    4. Change of address
  2. Use the Voter Registration Tool (VRT) in Barcode to record Voter Registration offers. 
  3. Follow the prompts as they appear on the Voter Registration pop up screens. Click here to access a step-by-step Quick Guide to the VRT.
  4. Do not keep the Agency Based Voter Registration form in the physical record, Electronic Case Record (ECR), or document the person's choice about voter registration in ACES.
  5. Follow Records Retention procedures for storage and disposal of the now obsolete DSHS 02-541 forms completed prior to the VRT implementation.
  6. Help with voter registration when someone asks for it. This could include:
    1. Helping the person fill out the registration form as needed; and
    2. Giving the person privacy when they ask for it to:
      1. Decide if they want to register to vote; or
      2. Fill out the voter registration form.
    3. Retaining the signed Agency Based Voter Registration form in a secure area until and mailed to the Secretary of State Office for the customer within 3 days.
    4. Referring non-DSHS clients to the Secretary of State's website, which is accessible through Washington Connection.
NOTE: If someone has a question about eligibility to vote, voting restoration rights, voter registration fraud, or discrimination in the process of registering, the Washington Secretary of State's web site has information on these topics under Elections & Voting.

Worker Responsibilities

  1. Staff with direct client interaction shall give people a choice to register to vote when receiving a Voter Registration Tool screen pop.  This occurs when opening a document type for any of the following triggering events:
    1. At application
    2. Eligibility review
    3. Recertification
    4. Change of address
  2. Use the Voter Registration Tool (VRT) in Barcode to record Voter Registration offers.
  3. Follow the prompts as they appear on the Voter Registration pop up screen. Click here to access a step-by-step Quick Guide to the VRT.
  4. Do not keep the Agency Based Voter Registration form in the physical record, Electronic Case Record (ECR), or document the person's choice about voter registration in ACES.
  5. Follow Records Retention procedures for storage and disposal of the now obsolete DSHS 02-541 forms completed prior to the VRT implementation.
  6. Help with voter registration when someone asks for it. This could include:
    1. Helping the person fill out the registration form as needed; and
    2. Giving the person privacy when they ask for it to:
      1. Decide if they want to register to vote; or
      2. Fill out the voter registration form.
    3. Retaining the signed Agency Based Voter Registration form in a secure area until mailed to the Secretary of State Office for the customer within 3 days.
    4. Referring non-DSHS clients to the Secretary of State's website, which is accessible through Washington Connection.