Reminder to tag the line with the legal signature when the voter takes up two lines. This is a default spec, but many of you are overlooking this.
Printed name is not required so long as signature is legible. If the name is not printed and cannot be recognized from the signature, tag the signature as -n0 and move on. If only a first initial is provided, it also -n0. Assume a printed name in the signature field is a signature.
Stray Marks
In Massachusetts, a stray mark outside the signature grid invalidates the whole page. Before, even marks within the grid were considered stray marks. However, the client has issued a correction. Stray marks within the signature grid are okay and not a reason to flag. Additionally, if the circulator writes the city/town outside the two boxes designated for that at the top and bottom of the form, that is considered a stray mark. If you find a stray mark outside the signature grid, flag the scan as k
even though not listed as an option when you flag. The client will review the scans, and each k flag that sticks, you will get a 25ยข bonus when the campaign is over. If it's not a signature page and there is no stray mark, instead of flagging as wrong type, immediately save as if it were a blank signature page.
A stray mark is not a voter writing larger than what fits on the lines. A stray mark is not a dot somewhere. A stray mark is someone testing their pen, or a pen slipping across the page outside of the signature grid.
City Separation
Signatures on each section can only belong to one city, which is usually written at the top or bottom of each page. If not, you can often find the city on one of the signature lines. If the page is blank and there is no city at the bottom, select any city at all (Boston, e.g.) and save as is. Don't flag a scan due to missing city at the bottom if the page is blank or if you can determine the city from one of the signature lines.
Sometimes, a town or neighborhood will be written instead of the proper city. Download the following PDF to get the proper city names by searching the nickname. Ctrl-f lets you find a word or part of a word within Adobe Acrobat. The official city is the all caps, middle value in each line.