A Look Back at November Coverage

Thanks to everyone who participated in coverage for the November 2012 General Election.  OPM deployed a total of 592 observers to 163 polling sites in 13 states at 15 staging sites.    

Weather was a major challenge this year.  The week before the election, Hurricane Sandy prevented some of our observers from serving—either they were affected directly or were involved in relief efforts.  Then, on the day after the election, several observers were delayed getting home—some had to spend an extra night in a hotel—due to delays and cancellations caused by a nor’easter that hit the Mid-Atlantic region.  Despite these and other challenges, the vast majority of observers were able to accomplish their work without incident, submitting accurate and detailed reports to the satisfaction of DOJ attorneys.

This election marked the first General Election in which the Voting Rights Program’s new website (LATTE) played a major role.  Using LATTE, onsite leadership logged, verified, and transmitted labor hours using iPads over wireless connections.  Observers then accessed LATTE from home to submit their travel vouchers—including receipts—to Election Coordinators.  Using the new technology contributed to our ability to process pay and travel reimbursements more quickly and with fewer errors.

Our success was due in large part to our prudent and quick-thinking field leadership staff, and our dedicated and hard-working observers.  OPM greatly appreciates your continued commitment to protecting the voting rights of all Americans.

Most Valuable Observers

Congratulations to four persons recently named Most Valuable Observer (MVO) for the November 2012 General Election: 

Barbara Allen for exhibiting exemplary leadership skills at coverage in Dallas County, TX. Despite an extremely hostile work environment with polling officials and the distraction of incidents with local law enforcement, her level-headedness and perseverance kept the team on track in producing a stellar report for the Department of Justice.

 James Staples for his exceptional skills in leading his team in capturing the events in a timely and accurate manner at coverage in Maricopa County, AZ.  He reported the hourly activities of an extremely aggressive poll watcher though out the day, remaining poised and professional. He also guided his team on the proper documentation of incidents involving inoperative voting machines.  His positive leadership resulted in the team producing an error-free report.

David Toledo for presenting strong leadership qualities, and for the accurate and timely process of material within the LATTE system at coverage in Sandoval County, NM. He assisted with keeping labor costs down and eased the waiting time of his fellow observer teams by beginning the report reviews as co-captains were occupied out in the field. David additionally exhibited strong judgment in determining whether to answer the observer questions or pass them on to the Captain on Election Day in support of the ultimate goal of error-free reports.

Rudy Wong for demonstrating selflessness to his team and to a fellow observer at coverage in Alameda County, CA.  He volunteered to meet another observer, who is not licensed to drive, at the San Francisco Airport, saving both the observer and the Program considerable wait-time for her ride or the cost of a taxi.  He also opened his home to the observer, providing lunch and sharing the company of his family with her.  At a fast-paced and demanding polling site, Rudy displayed strong leadership skills and enthusiasm in coaching two new observers, who did exceptional work on their first election coverage.

The person named MVO is the observer who, in the judgment of the Captain and the Election Coordinator, contributed the most to mission success at a particular election site.  If no single observer’s contribution stands out or if coverage is so uneventful that no one has the opportunity for distinguished service, the Captain may decide not to submit nominations. 

Years of Commitment  

These individuals have reached significant milestones with the Voting Rights Program:  

Congratulations and thank you for your years of steadfast commitment!

Your Form W-2 for 2012

It's that time of year to ensure that all your paperwork is in order for tax season.  

How to obtain your W-2.  If you had any time on the clock for the Voting Rights Program in 2012, your W-2 is now available through Employee Express (www.employeeexpress.gov).  On the lower left-hand side of the home page, click the link marked “View Your W2 Information.”  From there you can print or save an electronic copy of the W-2.  It’s that easy! 

Didn’t do VR work this year?  If you did no work for the VR Program in 2012, you will not be issued a W-2. 

Paper copies.  If you have previously received an electronic W-2 but now wish to have a paper version, it is too late in the process to do this for 2012.  If you have been and want to continue receiving a paper copy, you do not need to do anything.  Your W-2 will be mailed to you (postmarked by January 31).  If you elect to receive a paper W-2 but have not received it by February 15, 2013, or if you have any questions regarding your W-2, contact the National Payroll Branch Customer Service Representatives toll-free at 1-800-676-3690, extension 3-3900, or by email at KC-Payroll.Finance@gsa.gov.   

Note: You must have a valid personal identification number (PIN) to access Employee Express.  If you have not previously used Employee Express or have forgotten your PIN, call the Employee Express Helpdesk at 478-757-3030 between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm ET.  Advise the agent that you are an intermittent employee with OPM’s Voting Rights Program.  The Helpdesk will verify your home address and will mail a new PIN to you within 7 to 21 days.  HelpDesk agents will not give out PINs over the phone or send them via email.  The VR Program Staff does not have access to your account or PIN.

The Trouble with Payroll Debit Accounts  

In processing pay and travel vouchers after the November election, several observers experienced delays in receiving their money because they have “payroll debit accounts.”  These accounts are not full-service checking or savings accounts.  Rather, they are stand-alone debit cards—some issued by employers, others available through retail outlets like Walmart.  These accounts may have restrictions as to whether they will receive payments from Federal agencies.  For example, Walmart's Bluebird Card will not (see https://bluebird.com/faqs/?linknav=us-Prepaid-Bluebird-Home-Faqs#direct-deposit).  

If your account does not have the capability to accept Federal payments for either payroll or travel reimbursements,  you will need to avail yourself of one of these two “work-arounds”:

1. Have your salary and travel pay deposited to a checking or savings account, or
2. Have your salary and travel pay sent to you by paper check.  

We recommend Option 1, which is more secure and will allow you to receive your payments more quickly than with a paper check.  In addition, over the past few years the Government has been moving away from the practice of issuing paper checks altogether.  To make the switch, contact Sherry Johnson directly at votingrights@opm.gov or toll-free at 1-866-885-4122.  

Know Someone Who Might Make a Good Observer?

The Voting Rights Program wants to bring on board more Federal observers with minority language skills.  We  need individuals who have strong writing skills (in English) and have a medium-level (or better) of proficiency in one of these languages:  

• Spanish
• Chinese
• Lakota
• Keres
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Yup'ik

If you have any friends, family members, neighbors, or colleagues who may be interested, please have them contact us at votingrights@opm.gov or 1-866-885-4122 (toll free).  We will send them a vacancy announcement that explains how to apply online. 

Possible Elections for Spring/Summer 2013

At this point, we think that DOJ may request coverage at the following elections:

• March 12 – Arizona (Spanish)
• March 19 – New York (Spanish); South Carolina
• May 7 – Mississippi
• May 11 – Texas (Spanish)
• June 4 – Mississippi
• August 27 – Arizona (Spanish)
• September 10 – New York (Spanish); Ohio (Spanish)

If you are interested in serving, you can set aside these dates.  However, please do not call or email us regarding your availability at this time.  Instead, wait for an Election Coordinator to contact you.  For each election, we have to assess DOJ’s needs and establish observer teams based on minority language ability, experience, availability, transportation and labor costs, and other related factors.