Divide a Precinct Register Into Multiple Books

Voter Focus prints precinct registers so that each letter group starts on a new page. This arrangement allows precinct Clerks to divide the register into separate physical books, breaking the register at whatever letter group makes sense for the number of voters in the precinct. If you prefer not to split precinct registers manually, you can have Voter Focus divide a precinct register into multiple books when the register is generated. This option is selected on an individual-precinct basis, so you can specify the number of books you want for select precinct and leave some precinct registers undivided.

For primaries, a system option (VOTER FOCUS ADMIN > System Options > Prec Reg/Elctns > Party Registers Are Combined in Primary Elections) determines whether to produce separate registers for each party or to combine all voters in one precinct register. If you have Voter Focus divide the precinct register into, say, four books, Voter Focus will produce four books per precinct or four books per party, depending on how the option is set.

If you plan to combine the voters in two or more precincts in a single precinct register, you should combine the precincts before dividing the precinct register. In a combined-precinct situation, you will specify the number of books only for the major precinct in the combined group. See Combine Precincts in a Single Precinct Register for more information.

The Cover Page/Queue Signs report indicates the ranges of letter groups for each book.

  1. Ensure that the election is the focused election. If not, click Change Election Status on the Console and select the election.
  2. Go to ELECTIONS > Maintain Election Settings > Ballot Styles > Assign Ballot Styles to Precincts.
  3. On the Election Precinct Details dialog, highlight the precinct whose register you want to divide. In the case of combined precincts, highlight the major precinct in the combined group.
  4. In the Number of Books field, enter the number of books you want for the precinct register. Accepting the default value of 0 (zero) results in one precinct register, which will include the precinct's voters, the voters from any precinct splits, and voters from any other precincts combined with the precinct. If the election is a primary, a 0 value results in one book for the precinct or one book per party, depending on the setting of the system option Party Registers Are Combined in Primary Elections (mentioned above).
  5. Click Close to save your work.

It begins by counting the number of eligible voters in the precinct (or party or combined precincts) and dividing the total by the number of books requested. If the user wants four books for a precinct of 4,000 voters, here's how Voter Focus would divide the voters over the four books:

  1. It builds the Book 1 by adding the first 1,000 voters (from 4,000 divided by 4) and continues adding voters to the first book until there is a letter break in voter last names (for example, between D and E). It then closes Book 1.
  2. It starts building Book 2, adding voters until it reaches the 2,000th voter and continues until the next letter break. At the letter break, it closes Book 2.
  3. For Book 3, it resumes counting until it reaches the 3,000th voter and continues adding voters to the book until the next letter break, at which point it closes Book 3.
  4. It adds the remaining voters to Book 4. The last book is usually a small one.

Be aware that if you want four books for a small precinct with, say, 1,000 voters, the sizes of the four books might be quite different from each other. For example, for Book 1 the software will count up to Voter 250 and then look for a letter break, which might come at Voter 272. For Book 2 the software counts to Voter 500 and looks for a letter break, but it may be only three names into the last names beginning with M, so Book 2 could become quite large as the software includes all the M last names. For Book 3, the software will look for the letter break after Voter 750, which may not come until Voter 820 if the S last names are a large group, as they usually are.