TRAINING FOR TEXAS

VOLUNTEER DEPUTY REGISTRARS (VDR)

Toni Pippins-Poole, CERA, CCPAElections Administrator

Dallas County Elections Department2377 N. Stemmons Fwy #820 - Dallas, TX 75207

dallascountyvotes.org

Special Notice Before

Getting Started

• A person may not receive another person’s

registration application until satisfactorily

completing training developed or approved by the

Secretary of State and is appointed a volunteer

deputy registrar.

• A Volunteer Deputy Registrar status is issued

on county by county basis. You must be

deputized in the county you plan to be

registering individuals to vote.

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Qualifications of a

Volunteer Deputy Registrar

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Qualifications1. be 18 years of age or older

2. be a United States Citizen

3. be a Texas resident

4. not have been determined by a final judgment of a court

exercising probate jurisdiction to be: 1. totally mentally incapacitated, or

2. partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote

5. never have been convicted of failing to deliver a voter registration

application to a voter registrar

6. not have been finally convicted of a felony, or, if convicted, must

have 1. fully discharged the sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, or

supervision, or

2. been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting

disability to vote

7. not have been finally convicted of identity theft under Section 32.51

of the Texas Penal Code

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SPECIAL NOTE

NOTE: Pursuant to Section 13.031(d)(3) of the Texas Election Code, to be eligible for appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar, a person must meet the requirements to be a qualified voter under Section 11.002 of the Code, except that the person is not required to be a registered voter.

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Length of Appointment

All appointments expire on December 31st of every even-numbered year.

Your appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar WILL be terminated if you are:

• finally convicted of an offense under the law relating to

performance-based compensation for voter registration, Section

13.008, Texas Election Code; or

• finally convicted of an offense under the law relating to a failure

to deliver a completed voter registration application to the

county voter registrar, Section 13.043, Texas Election Code.

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Length of AppointmentYour appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar MAY be

terminated by the appointing authority if it is determined

that you:

• failed to properly review a voter registration application;

• intentionally destroyed or physically altered a

registration application; or

• engaged in any other activity that conflicts with your

responsibilities as a volunteer deputy registrar.

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The Role of a Volunteer

Deputy Registrar

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Supplies Needed• Certificate of Appointment*

• Texas Volunteer Deputy Registrar Guide and any other handbook provided by your appointing authority*

• Green Voter Registration Applications with receipts that tear off.

• White Voter Registration Cards

• Pens

*All election materials issued to a volunteer deputy registrar, including the Certificate of Appointment, applications and other forms in the volunteer deputy registrar’s possession, must be returned or accounted for upon termination of appointment, not later than the second day after the volunteer deputy registrar receives the termination notice.

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What is a

Volunteer Deputy Registrar?Volunteer Deputy Registrars are entrusted with the

responsibility of officially registering voters in the State

of Texas. They are appointed by county voter registrars

and charged with helping increase voter registration in

the state.

• Distribute and accept voter registration applications who

wish to change or correct information on his/her voter

registration certificate

• Deliver voter applications to the elections office in a timely

manner.

• Assist in educating the voters about upcoming elections and distribute election information.

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Distributing and Accepting

Applications

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Qualifications to Register to Vote

A volunteer deputy registrar assists the county voter

registrar who appointed him or her to encourage voter registration. A

volunteer deputy registrar:

• may distribute voter registration applications to anyone who requests one.

• may distribute and accept a completed voter registration application from

any resident of the county who is:

1. a United State citizen;

2. a resident of the county;

3. at least 17 years and 10 months of age;

4. not a convicted felon (unless the person’s sentence has been completed,

including probation or parole or the person has been pardoned or

otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote);

5. not a person determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate

jurisdiction to be (1) totally mentally incapacitated; or (2) partially mentally

incapacitated without the right to vote.

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Assisting Applicants• You may assist any resident of the county in

completing a voter registration application,

if he/she cannot read, or has a physical disability.

• If an applicant cannot sign his/her name on the application,

• applicant may make a mark on the signature line

• print the name of the applicant beside the mark.

• sign your name and address as the witness

• state the reason the applicant is unable to sign.

You may allow another registered voter (or anyone who has submitted

a registration application) to fill out and sign an application for his/her

spouse, parent or child. That person must sign the application as "agent" and state the relationship to the applicant on the application.

The "agent" must have the permission of the applicant to do this.

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Types of Voter Registration

Application Cards

White cards are handed to Applicant

and must be mailed in by Applicant.

If you are not a deputy you can only

pass out the white application cards

Green VDR Applications are to be

delivered to our office by a VDR-No

later than 5 calendar days after Voter

Registration Application was filled

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MUST BE SIGNED

AND DATED

Reviewing Applications

ALL Questions in

Section 1 MUST be

answered before

Proceeding

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Reviewing Applications• Each voter registration application should be

reviewed in the presence of the applicant.

• If the voter registration application does not

contain all the required information, including

the required signature, the volunteer deputy

registrar shall return the application to the applicant for completion and resubmission.

A volunteer deputy registrar MAY NOT:

• determine if the applicant is actually qualified to

register to vote; or

• make the applicant provide his/her gender or

telephone number.

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A voter registration application you accept from any resident of the county should include the following:

• Section 1: Applicant must select why they are submitting the application (new application, change to current information or request for replacement). Applicant must also answer citizenship and age question;

• Section 2: Full name, including any middle, maiden, or former name;

• Section 3: Residence address must be a street address or a description of the location of the residence;

• Section 4: Valid mailing address, if mail can't be delivered to the residence address;

• Section 5: City and County of Former Residence in Texas;

Application should include;

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Application should include; Cont..

• Section 6: Date of birth, including month, day, and

year;

• Section 7 & 8 are optional

• Section 9: Texas Driver’s License No., Texas Personal I.D. No.

or last 4 digits of social security number. If the applicant

hasn’t been issued any of these items, he or she must check

the box in this section affirming this statement; and

• Section 10: Signature of applicant and date of signing. Be

sure the applicant has read the statements that he/she is

signing regarding qualifications to register and if an agent is

registering for an applicant, be sure the agent provides

his/her relationship to the applicant.

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Application Registration

Receipts

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Voter Registration Receipts

In Dallas County Every VDR Voter Registration Application has duplicate receipts that tear off in the perforated line. There are 2 one for the applicant and one for VDR.

• Prepare a receipt in duplicate

• Sign the receipt and give the duplicate to the applicant.

• Keep the additional receipt for your records.

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Volunteer Deputy VR ApplicationsRev. 10/3/2014

Receipt for Deputy Registrar

Receipt for Applicant

Front Back- Applicants Receipt

Make sure everything is

clearly and thoroughly filled

out.

Do not keep copies of

completed voter registration

applications because these

documents contain

information that is

confidential by law.

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Delivery of Applications

and Receipts

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Delivery of VDR Green Cards

• You must deliver completed registration applications in person to the county voter registrar who appointed you no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 5th day after the date you receive them, 5 calendar days.

• Alternatively, you may deliver completed registration applications to the county voter registrar through another volunteer deputy registrar appointed by the county voter registrar no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 5th day after the date you receive them.

• You MAY NOT deliver the green applications by mail.

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Special NoteNOTE: To be eligible to vote, a person must be registered

30 days before Election Day. Pursuant to Section

13.042(c) of the Election Code, as amended by House Bill

2324 (85thLegislature, RS, 2017), effective September 1,

2017, when you receive a completed application after

the 34thday before the date of an election and on or

before the last day for a person to timely submit a

registration application for that election as provided by

Section 13.143 of the Code, you MUST deliver the

application to the county voter registrar no later than 5

p.m. of the next regular business day after the date to

timely submit a registration application for that election

as provided by Section 13.143 of the Code.

FAILURE TO DELIVER AN APPLICATION IN A TIMELY

MANNER IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE 24 of 38

Review from previous page

When it is close to the last day to register to vote for any election.

• If you receive an application on or before the cutoff date of any election, the five days to turn in the green applications no longer applies.

• This means that any application that is eligible for that election must be delivered to our office no later than the 29th day before Election Day –which will usually be the day after the cutoff date to register for that election.

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Voter Registration

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Voter Name or Address Changes

If the voter changes name or moves within the same county, his/her voter registration can be updated by:

• making the change on the back of the voter registration

certificate and mailing it to the county voter registrar;

• submitting a new application form to the voter registrar and

checking the box for "change";

• writing a letter to the voter registrar explaining the change of

address; or

• submitting a change of name/address online at

https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do

If the voter moves to another county, they must re-register in the new county of residence.

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Effective Date of Registration

• The applicant can vote as soon as the 30th day after

submitting the application. This 30-day waiting period

starts when the volunteer deputy registrar receives

the application form.

• If the applicant is under 18, the registration will

become effective on the 30th day after the voter

registrar gets the application or on the applicant's

18th birthday, whichever comes later.

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Period of Effectiveness

Voter registration will be automatically renewed

every even-numbered year unless:

• the voter moves to another address; or

• the voter is convicted of a felony and has not

completed the sentence, probation or

parole or been otherwise pardoned or

released from the resulting disability to vote.

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Voter Registration Drives

• Make sure you carry your VDR credentials with you at all times.

• Make sure you have approval from the venue before you start registering people to vote.

• Call us or email us if you are out and have questions.

Esmeralda Garcia 214-819-6346

esmeralda.l.garcia@dallascounty.org

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Frequently

Asked

Questions

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Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: Must I personally be registered to vote in order to serve as a volunteer deputy registrar?

A: No. Pursuant to Section 13.031(d)(3) of the Code to be eligible for appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar, a person must meet the requirements to be a qualified voter under Section 11.002 of the Code, except that the person is not required to be a registered voter.

Q: I have been designated a deputy registrar from County X. I will be at an event that will have attendees from County X along with County Y and County Z. May I register people from County Y and County Z?

A: No. Volunteer deputy registrar status is conferred on a county-by-county basis. To accept applications for Y or Z counties, you would have to become a volunteer deputy registrar for those counties. You could certainly give applications to the attendees from County Y and County Z and direct them to mail the application to the appropriate county voter registrar’s office. Under Section 13.044 of the Code, a person commits a Class C misdemeanor by acting as a volunteer deputy registrar when he or she does not have an effective appointment as a deputy registrar.

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FAQ - ContinuedQ: May I photocopy a completed application before turning it in to the county voter registrar?

A: No. Section 13.004(c-1) of the Code requires the county voter registrar to ensure that certain information, such as the telephone number, on a registration application is redacted from photocopies of voter registration applications from her office. In our opinion, this means that a photocopy of an application must come directly from the county voter registrar’s office, so that he or she may ensure the required information has been blacked out or otherwise obscured. With that said, we believe that a volunteer deputy registrar may photocopy the receipt. You may also copy the relevant information from the application in writing just as you would be able to do if you went to the registrar’s office and pulled a copy of the original application.

Q: I am a candidate and/or working for a campaign. May I serve as a volunteer deputy registrar?

Q: Yes. There is no prohibition against a candidate or a campaign worker serving as a deputy registrar, as long as they otherwise meet the “Qualifications” described above and have been officially appointed as a volunteer deputy registrar. Similarly, there is no prohibition against a volunteer deputy registrar registering voters at a campaign rally or event. While working a rally or public event, a volunteer deputy registrar must offer registration to anyone who requests it.

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FAQ- Continued

Q: Is there any way for me to become a statewide volunteer deputy registrar?Q: No. Volunteer deputy registrar appointments are made on a county-by-county basis. Section 13.032 of the Code provides that a county may not refuse to appoint a resident of the county as a volunteer deputy registrar. A voter registrar may not refuse to appoint a volunteer deputy registrar on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin or ancestry.

Q: Is there a minimum age to become a volunteer deputy registrar?A: Yes. A person must be at least 18 years of age to become a volunteer deputy registrar.

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Questions & Answers

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Certificate of Appointment

Certificate of Appointment Volunteer Deputy

#__________I hereby certify that Expires

___________________ ___________Name

__________________________________________________________________

Address

is a duly qualified Deputy Voter Registrar for the County of Dallas, Texas, and is authorized

to assist in preparation of applications for Voter Registration and to deliver completed

applications to this office until:

_____________________________________________________________

Date

_________________________ ____________________________

Deputy Registrar Toni Pippins-Poole,

CERA, CCPA

Elections Administraton

DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT

CCEERRTTIIFFIICCAATTEE OOFF AAPPPPOOIINNTTMMEENNTT

FFOORR VVOOLLUUNNTTEEEERR DDEEPPUUTTYY RREEGGIISSTTRRAARR

Name of Appointee: _______________________________________________

Residence Address: ________________________________________________

Residence City, Zip Code: ___________________________________________

E-mail Address: ___________________________________________________

Home/Cell Phone: ___________________ Work Phone: __________________

I, Toni Pippins-Poole, Voter Registrar for Dallas County, do hereby appoint

____________________________________ as a Volunteer Deputy Registrar for Dallas County. I

further certify that the aforementioned volunteer deputy registrar has undergone training adopted by the

Texas Secretary of State and is hereby appointed for a term to begin on ____________________ and

expire on December 31 of every even-numbered year. The appointment shall terminate on an earlier date

if the appointee receives a final conviction for an offense for failure to deliver a voter registration

application or if the appointee is finally convicted of an offense under the law relating to performance-

based compensation voter registrations. If the voter registrar determines that the volunteer deputy

registrar failed to adequately review a voter registration application, the appointment may also be

terminated before the expiration date of the appointment.

_____________________________ ______________________________

Deputy ID Number Signature of Voter Registrar

______________________________ ______________________________

VUID Number Signature of Appointee

______________________________ ______________________________

Precinct Number Date of Appointment

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:

Date of Termination: ____________________________________________________________________

Reason for Termination: _________________________________________________________________

For Identification

purposes. You must carry

your Certificate Card

when you are out

registering people to vote

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Helpful Resources

Remember these helpful resources…Contact the Dallas County Voter Registrar at:

• (214) 819-6389

• (214) 637-7937

• Please contact the Dallas County Elections Department at (214) 819-6300, or visit us at www.dallascountyvotes.org if you should have any questions.

• Training resources are available at www.dallascountyvotes.org

• This information may also be found at: www.sos.state.tx.us or www.votetexas.gov

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Thank you for your service as a Volunteer Deputy Registrar

Esmeralda Garcia 214-819-6346esmeralda.l.garcia@dallascounty.org

Dallas County Elections Department 2377 N. Stemmons Frwy., Suite. 820

Dallas, TX 7520738 of 38