Harrisonburg election official sets training, canvass and provisional-hearing times ahead of June primary

Harrisonburg City Electoral Board members heard a report on April 14 from Mark Banks, the city’s director of elections, who reviewed logistics and deadlines for the June primary, proposed a time change for the post-election canvass and described progress on a digital provisional-ballot log pilot with KnowInk.

Banks told the board that absentee logic-and-accuracy testing is scheduled for Monday, April 28, at 3 p.m., and that he proposes the election-day logic-and-accuracy (L&A) test for Monday, June 2, at 1 p.m. He also presented officer-training dates for early voting and the primary, and asked the board to set a standard start time for the canvass and provisional-ballot hearing the day after the election.

Why it matters: the board must set firm times and approve routine administrative steps so ballots, training and staff are in place before early voting begins. Banks said consistent, “evergreen” notice language and a fixed start time for the provisional hearing will reduce paperwork duplication and printing costs.

Banks said he will set the provisional-ballot hearing to begin at 11 a.m. on the day after the election going forward, noting that although the canvass technically opens a few minutes earlier to allow the board to gavel in, the public-facing provisional hearing time on notices will be 11 a.m. He explained the change reflects the advent of same-day registration (SDR), which makes it unlikely the office can produce full recommendations to the board by noon the day after some elections.

“We have been starting it at around noon. The…