4. "Help America Vote Act" - Laserfiche WebLink

Counties choosing to operate a total number of precincts or polling locations at a rate less than the targeted number of precincts calculated according to the formula outlined in this plan will only be responsible for providing matching funds for upgrading the voting systems in those precincts or polling locations that are operated by the county. Counties choosing to operate precincts in addition to the targeted number of precincts calculated according to the formula outlined in this plan will be responsible for the full cost of upgrading the voting systems in those precincts to match the voting system used in the other precincts in the county. The state, through the Secretary of State's Office and an advisory group of county election officials, will negotiate through the established bidding process the best-valued state contract for voting systems. Once a qualifying voting system has been selected, the Secretary of State and counties will enter into a joint powers or other agreement for the purpose of procuring a state-wide voting system that meets the requirements of HAVA and state standards. Any revenue or interest generated by the state from any HAVA funds will be returned to the state's Election Fund to pay the expenses for technical service support and programming; for equipment maintenance and replacement, as necessary; and for future election related technology upgrades. In order to meet state standards and be eligible to enter into the joint powers or other agreement, counties must: 1. Address minimum physical accessibility needs of polling places within the county as deemed necessary by the state. Accessibility needs in counties will be based on the results of an independent inspection arranged by the Secretary of State, in coordination with a qualifying authority and the county; 2. Provide storage and security for voting systems; 3. Comply with state-based grievance procedures; 4. Post the required voter information at the polling place, as provided by the state; 5. Provide the 2.5% match toward the initial purchase of voting systems authorized for the county based upon the target number of precincts; and 6. Meet any deadlines established by HAVA and this plan for the replacement of non-qualifying voting systems, voter education and election official training requirements, and any other requirements of HAVA or this plan. Election Officials and Poll Worker Education and Training Currently, the Secretary of State's office holds training sessions for county election officials prior to the election cycle in each election year. The county election officials and the State's Attorney, in turn, hold training sessions for their election officials and poll workers prior to each election [NDCC 16.1-05]. Improvements for election official training and recruitment may be accomplished through, but are not limited to: Proposed North Dakota State }lAVA Plan - For Pu/dic Review Page 7 of 21