A Strategy for Managing the Voting Process
The
“This is the biggest change we’ve seen in the
elections process in the history of the nation.” Bruce McPherson, former California Secretary of State
“The Help America Vote Act” (HAVA or the Act) was
passed by Congress in 2002 to provide assistance with the establishment of
minimum election administration standards for federal elections. HAVA provides
the states with funds, which in part are to be disseminated to the counties to
meet the various provisions of the Act. The Act requires:
· Nationwide implementation of provisional voting.
· Voter ID requirements for new voters in federal elections.
· Replacement of punch card and lever voting machines.
· Voting system accessibility for voters with specific needs.
· A centralized statewide voter registration database in each state and territory.
·
Specialized handling of absentee ballot
applications for military and overseas
voters.
· Each state and territory to define what constitutes a valid vote.
As the result of both federal and state legislation, HAVA and
California’s Proposition 41 (the Voting Modernization Act), major changes are
occurring in the processes by which state and Santa Cruz County voters cast
their ballots,
as well as in the way votes are tabulated. Regarding the
move to electronic voting machines, the former California Secretary of
State, Bruce McPherson, said: “This is the biggest change we’ve seen in the
elections process in the history of the nation.”
With this change, specialized computers are used
directly by voters in casting their ballots and provide for automation of
the tabulation of the votes.
Early attempts to use such machines around the country have led to a
number of problems — from power
outages that made machines unusable, to machines rebooting for unknown reasons
mid-day during an election, to difficulties experienced by precinct staff in
starting the machines and properly capturing totals.
There are several vendors of voting machines,
including: Sequoia Systems (the system used by
Reliability concerns
arise both from questions about the workings of the generally privately
owned and proprietary software and the vulnerability of the
machines to fraud. According to an expert, fraud
results from
manipulations of the operating software (hacking)
or of physical manipulations, such as swapping out memory cards containing the
machine software and/or the vote totals. The new
California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, has recently commissioned a study
of the matter. She has formed a team of highly technical members. They will be
doing a “top to bottom” review
of the various voting systems. This study will include:
This will be the first time that Sequoia Voting Systems has been
reviewed by the State of
The
§·
Adequacy of security in
the election
process.
§·
Performance of the voting
machines.
§·
Reliability and accuracy of
the vote
tallies.
§·
Adequacy of poll worker
training.
§·
Suitability of polling place physical
arrangements.
§·
Adequacy of election staffing.
§·
Adequacy of public education
of the voting process.
§·
Suitability of the current
strategy
to comply
with the
Help America Vote Act.
§·
Poll worker and voter
opinions of the new process.
·o
Poll worker and voter
surveys.
·o
400C
Ballot Counter
Machine that counts the paper absentee ballots.
Electronic
Voting
Using computers to capture, record and tally votes.
HAVA
Help American Vote Act — act passed by Congress in 2002 which specifies
that all federal elections
must meet certain minimum standards.
Memory
Pack
A cartridge which plugs into scanner and contains
the files unique to that
precinct.
Memory
Stick
A portable device which stores data.
Optical
Scanner
Computer equipment that scans, counts, and accumulates the paper
ballots.
Paper
Trail
Verification of each voter’s
choices. The paper
trail on the touch screen computer consists of a compilation of the voter’s votes that is
visible to the voter at the end of the ballot process.
Polling
Place
A place where people vote, usually — but not
always — voting precincts have their
own polling places.
Poll
Worker
A person who is trained to work in the polling place.
Proposition
41
Voting Modernization Act of 2002 —
state proposition which authorized the
state to sell $200 million in bonds for
updating voting systems.
Proprietary
Exclusive; secret; may not be accessed by anyone but the owner.
Results
Cartridge
A cartridge which plugs into the touch screen machine; it contains the unique
form for that precinct and a data
field for counting the votes as they are input on the
screen by the voter.
Sequoia
Systems
One of several voting computer system vendors; the vendor chosen by
SERVE
Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Equipment.
SQL
Server
SQL (Structured Query Language) is the programming
language that communicates or
interfaces with the database that
stores voting data. The
server is the main computer on which the database
resides.
Touch
Screen
A computer display which the voter can control by touching the screen.
Voting
Precinct
One of several districts into which a city or county is divided for
voting. Most precincts have their own polling places, but
in
1.
The Sequoia Systems (Sequoia) software is
privately
owned and proprietary.
Response from the
Elections Officer:
Correct. The software has undergone a top-to-bottom review by Secretary
of State Debra Bowen, results of which were released on August 3. The Secretary
of State withdrew approval of the system then re-approved it subject to meeting
39 conditions.
2.
Sequoia
equipment and software goes through extensive testing by Sequoia Systems.
This testing is required by the state.
Response
from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
The system then must be qualified at the federal level and certified at the
state level.
3.
The Sequoia
Systems’ touch
screen
voting machine uses a voter verified paper trail which is the fundamental
protection against software errors in recording the vote, provided there is a
good audit procedure following the election.
Response
from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
The Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) provides the voters with an
opportunity to verify their vote. Each touch screen unit is tested for logic
and accuracy by an elections official prior to being deployed to ensure
accuracy. In addition, we conducted in November 2006 a 10 percent random manual
recount of the machines during the canvass to verify accuracy. The SOS
conditions require a 100 percent manual recount of the VVPATs beginning with
the February 2008 election. It is uncertain whether this will be the standard
for all future elections.
4. Procedures are in place to protect the integrity of the data on the voting machines’ memory packs and results cartridges. These items are external and removable and protected with traceable seals. Any sign of tampering with the seals is reported to the Election Department and investigated. There is a standard reporting form, and written procedures are provided to the poll workers.
Response
from the Elections Officer:
Correct. Seals must be
physically broken in order to access the Memory Packs and Result Cartridges.
The voting units’ seals must be verified by other poll workers and any
tampering with the seal must be immediately reported to the elections official.
All seals have a unique number and are traceable to the unit in which it was
installed.
5. The ballot information file for each precinct was created by the Santa Cruz County Election’s Department’s Information Systems Analyst and the program coordinators. It was sent electronically to Sequoia, the vendor, where the ballot election files were created. Sequoia also provided the printed paper ballots. There was a unique file created for each precinct. Files were then sent back electronically to the SQL server which resides in the Information Systems Analyst’s office for updating and testing. Sequoia provided all testing scripts and assisted in the testing this past election.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Sequoia provided the testing
scripts according to the specifications of the Santa Cruz County elections
officials. Sequoia did not assist with testing. All testing was done by Santa
Cruz County elections staff. Sequoia staff observed testing and assisted with
equipment repairs, but did not assist with testing equipment.
6. Prior to the November 2006 election, the ballot information was reviewed, modified and approved by the county program coordinators and the Information Systems Analyst until it was ready to be sealed. The Information Systems Analyst, via a memory stick, manually extracted the data and loaded it onto a stand-alone laptop system. The cartridges for the voting machines were written from this system. They were sealed and coded. Once sealed, they were ready for distribution to the voting machines.
Response from the
Elections Officer:
Correct for the DREs. For the
Insight optical scanner, the memory stick was then used to take the ballot
information and transfer it to a desktop computer attached to a memory pack
reader/writer that put the information into the Insight.
7. During the last election, some areas for improvement on warehouse check-in and out of equipment were noted. For example, the person checking out equipment was not identified.
Response from the
Elections Officer:
The person checking out
equipment was identified by name and checked against a list of who was checking
out equipment. In most cases, these people were known personally by the people
checking out the equipment. In the future, persons picking up voting equipment
will be required to show photo identification upon checking out equipment and
supplies. The Department is also looking into requiring background checks of
persons responsible for picking up equipment.
Voting equipment
deployment is currently being reviewed and discussed by the Secretary of State.
It is uncertain whether we will be able to continue to check out voting
equipment to Inspectors prior to Election Day. A SOS-approved method for safe
and secure equipment deployment has not been resolved at this time.
8. All voting equipment and accessories for Santa Cruz County are stored in a secure warehouse within the city of Santa Cruz. The exception to this is the SQL server, which is used as a network server for the Elections Department, and the 400C (absentee paper ballot counter) which resides in the Information Systems Analyst’s secured office. All files are backed up and stored in a storage area offsite at the Elections Department warehouse.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
9. The results cartridges for the touch screens and memory packs for the scanners are created on a stand-alone computer at the warehouse. They are then loaded and sealed into the appropriate precinct equipment and stored until ready to be shipped to the polling place. Access to both the warehouse and office are controlled through the use of color-coded security badges. Four Elections Department supervisors with the widest access to the county's voting machines and voting materials have their own color-coded badge. Temporary employees, who must be escorted and supervised inside the secure area, have a different color badge, as do permanent Elections Department employees, visitors and exhibitors, and voting machine vendors.
Response from the Elections Officer:
In addition, entrance into the
secured area where voting equipment is stored and programmed is locked in a
separate caged facility within the warehouse and entrance is restricted only to
three people who have clearance.
10. The warehouse has an alarm system, provided by First Alarm. An access card is required in order to enter. The Information Systems Analyst, Department Information Systems Specialist and the Election Officer have the First Alarm access code.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Only the County Clerk,
Assistant County Clerk and Department Information Systems Specialist have the
access code and magnetic card for access.
11. A large door is locked from the inside. All equipment is within a caged area of the warehouse with controlled access.
Response from the Elections Officer:
In addition, there is 24-hour
camera surveillance of the warehouse facility.
12. The assigned person at each precinct picks up the voting equipment from the warehouse the day before the election. The cartridges are already in place and sealed. A poll worker takes the equipment home. On election day, they take it to the polling place and set it up.
Response from the
Elections Officer:
We have four distribution
centers: the Warehouse, Felton Fire, Aptos Library and Watsonville City Hall.
In addition, we deliver equipment and supplies to the Inspectors at our Summit
precincts on the Thursday before Election Day.
13. At the close of the polls, two designated persons break the seals on the results cartridge and the memory pack and remove them from the machines. Cartridges and seals are put in a sealable orange bag. The printer is removed from the touch screen machine for transport. The orange bag and printer are prepared by an inspector and a designated person. These items are taken to the election department, where the bags are checked, verified, and stored in the Information Systems Analyst office until ready to tally. The person who checked out the equipment and brought it to the polling site is also responsible for taking it back to the county building. All voting equipment is eventually returned to the warehouse for storage.
Response from the
Elections Officer:
There are three return centers:
The County Government Center, Watsonville City Hall and Felton Fire Station. We
are looking into adding more in the future.
14. After the November 2006 election, the above process was reviewed by election staff. It was found that there were delays in equipment check-in.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
In the future, the number of
return centers will increase in an effort to decrease the time it takes for
poll workers to return equipment and supplies.
15. The issue of fire protection of the polling places was not addressed when the polling places were chosen. Since most poll sites are in public buildings, it was assumed that the fire protection available at the poll site location would be relied on.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Correct.
17. Sequoia Systems is a state-approved vendor for the new voting equipment. They were chosen by Santa Cruz County to provide the voting equipment.
Response from the Elections Officer:
The system is
federally-qualified and state-certified. On August 3, 2007, the SOS
re-certified the system subject to conditions.
18.
The touch screen voting
machine has a printer which records the votes. It has 300
feet
of paper inside the machine. During the last
election, the paper often jammed.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
There were a dozen paper jams
on 140 units deployed. Personnel have since been trained to identify and correct
most of the paper jamming problems.
19. During the November 2006 election, two or three scanners failed and at least 12 printers jammed. When the failed scanners were tested, it was determined that they probably had been damaged in transport.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Two scanners were replaced at
the beginning of the day due to malfunctions. Processes were in place for
replacement equipment to be rapidly deployed. There was no delay in voting.
Other scanner problems occurred, but they were operator error and were resolved
via phone conversations with trained staff.
20. The 400C Ballot Counter Machine reads the ballots very quickly. However, the catch basket, which is located outside the machine, is not large enough to hold all of the ballots. As a result, ballots can get bent or be ejected onto the floor.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
One person operates the 400C
while two people collect ballots. This system ensures the least amount of
stress on the ballots, so they are easily stored in ballot storage containers.
We had 2 ballots fall on the floor and they were retrieved.
21. The results cartridge plugs into touch screen equipment. It contains a database for capturing the votes as they are input by the voter. This cartridge cannot be removed without breaking a seal.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Correct.
22. The memory pack plugs into the optical scanner. It also uses a database for capturing the votes as they are input when the ballot is scanned. The memory pack cannot be removed without breaking a seal.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Correct.
23. Firmware (software imbedded in the machine) operates the machines. The Secretary of State demands the firmware be at a specific level (version). It cannot be changed after 60 days prior to election. A test is run to ensure the firmware level (version) is correct.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Correct.
24. To ensure the reliability and accuracy of the equipment, logic and accuracy testing is conducted by the vendor and county personnel. Some experts believe that this testing is insufficient for validating the accuracy and reliability of the vote. They argue that it consists only of verifying whether the equipment is working. It does not evaluate the equipment’s security.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Logic and Accuracy tests are
done by elections staff and a Logic and Accuracy board made up of people from
our community. The vendor is not involved in this test. The test uses ballots,
either paper or electronic, where the vote totals are known. The tests are run
to ensure that the machines are counting correctly. An observation panel is
invited to watch these tests. It is not a security test. Security is achieved
through the processes and procedures we have in place as well as meeting the
conditions required by the Secretary of State. Equipment security improvements
are also being implemented by the vendor. Sequoia currently has voting system
upgrades going through the federal qualification process that address
identified security concerns.
25. After they are finished voting, voters who use the touch screen equipment can verify the accuracy of their votes by looking at a compilation of their votes that is displayed in a window on the machine.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
It is displayed on a Voter
Verified Paper Audit Trail that is under a window attached to the machine.
26. Following a written procedure, the designated poll worker and one other poll worker break the outer seal and assist the first voter to verify prior to his or her vote that the “total votes” displayed is zero. Both the poll worker and the voter sign an official document verifying that the vote count is zero.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
The zero vote report is
verified in writing by the first voter on the touch screen and the first voter
who uses a paper ballot that is scanned into the scanner.
27. On 10 percent of machines, a random sample with full paper recount is taken to check that the machines are tallying correctly.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Correct. SOS conditions require
a 100 percent manual recount.
28. After the November 2006 election, Capitola initiated a manual recount. Each precinct was reconciled separately. With approximately 3000 votes to count, it came out to within one vote of the machine count. The final election results did not change.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
There was a recount requested
for the Capitola City Council contest as well as the Watsonville City Council,
District 5 contest. In both cases, a voter marked a vote on a paper ballot
outside of the voting target area so the vote could not be read and tallied by
the ballot counters. In both cases, this one ballot did not affect the outcome
of the contests.
29. During the November 2006 election, a number of absentee ballots had to be redone due to the types of pens used. Some voters used pens that bled through the paper and could not be read by the scanner.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Better instruction will be
provided to voters in the future. Voters are instructed to use a blue or black
ink pen. Pencil also works. But when voters use a Sharpie or felt-tip pen, the
mark bled through the back-side of the ballot and resulted in untended votes on
contests printed on the back side. A better stock of paper could also help this
situation, but could increase postage due to weight. Ballots that had to be
remade to reflect voter intent were done so in accordance with the law.
30. Provisional ballots were being used for voters who had come to the wrong polling place. Some provisional ballots had to be redone because they were folded the wrong way.
Response from the Elections Officer:
There are fold marks on the paper ballots. In the future, poll workers will
be trained on how to fold the ballot correctly. Ballots that had to be remade
to reflect voter intent were done so in accordance with the law.
31. An organized training plan with documentation was provided for the poll workers and inspectors. One person at each polling site was trained and certified to use the machines. There were “rovers” who traveled between polling sites to check on machines and supplies.
Response from the Elections Officer:
In most cases, there were two
people assigned to each polling place who were trained on the machines. In
addition, there were two other people one Technical Rover and one Roving
Inspector who were assigned a few sites to visit frequently during the day. In
one case, one person served in both roles of the Technical Rover and Roving
Inspector. The Technical Rover had additional training on how to troubleshoot
problems with voting equipment at the polls. The Roving Inspector was trained
on overall polling site operations and access issues. In addition, there were
Runners at the elections headquarters who were trained to be dispatched where
needed.
32. Before the November 2006 election, county staff did a lot of on-the-job training while concurrently preparing for the election because the equipment arrived late.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct. We work under very tight
deadlines that cannot be extended.
33. The training documentation from the vendor had to be completely redone because it had to be customized to the design of the Santa Cruz County election model.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
34. In the future, the Elections Department plans to create a professional DVD to supplement poll worker training.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct. It is currently in process.
35. Poll workers have documentation binders which have flip charts and checklists. Also, they are trained how to deal with the press and observers.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
36. Poll workers indicated they wanted more “hands-on training” with the machines in addition to having more poll workers trained on the equipment. These machines are sophisticated computer equipment, and if something goes wrong, many poll workers don’t know what to do. (See Poll Worker Survey in the Appendix for more information.)
Response from the Elections Officer:
The Department offered an open
lab from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday during the weeks prior to the
Election with extra hours available in the evening and on the weekend upon request.
Election workers were encouraged to take advantage of this extra hands-on
training. Many did. In the future, we plan to move this lab to another location
and better communicate to our election workers its availability.
37. The physical arrangement of the polling places was similar to past elections. This consistency contributed to a stable atmosphere.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
38. The touch screen machine was positioned with the back of the machine to the wall. This placement meant that the voter’s selections could be seen by others standing nearby.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
We wanted to protect the back
side of the machine which needs to be manual activated to pull up a ballot. The
machines do not lend themselves to be turned around easily. A solution to this
issue is being discussed with staff and the vendor.
39. The county was proactive in making the touch screen machine wheel chair accessible by re-engineering the support legs. In addition, they custom designed carrying bags for the scanner.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
40. Santa Cruz County was sued by the State Attorney General for not following Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations for polling sites. The parties agreed to settle the lawsuit without finding that the county had violated the ADA regulations.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
41. Some polling places that were shared by more than one precinct also shared touch screen machines. This arrangement caused some confusion because voters had to identify which precinct they were voting in as the first step in the voting process, and many did not know.
Response from
the Elections Officer:
Our plan is to purchase
additional touchscreens and scanners to allow us to assign one of each to each
voting precinct. This plan is on hold pending final clarification from the SOS
on the conditional certification of the voting equipment and renewal of the
Help America Vote Act contract to allow these costs to be covered by the
federal funds. It is very possible the additional equipment will not be
received in time for February 2008, but we anticipate having them in time for
June 2008.
42. In the start-up process for the new voting system, the Department Information Systems Specialist, Elections Officer, Assistant County Clerk and the Information Systems Analyst were trained first, and then they were able to provide training for others. Sometimes training occurred simultaneously with the installation of the new equipment.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Correct.
43. The staffing for the poll places was conducted in the same manner as in previous elections. Polling place staff is typically temporary help from the community. The polling place supervisors are relied upon to pick up the equipment at the warehouse the day before the election, keep it at their houses overnight and take it to their polling places in the morning for set up.
Response from the Elections Officer:
We had additional staff at the polls and had the addition of the
Technical Rovers. We also rely heavily on county workers to serve in the polls.
For the 2008 election cycle, the Board has agreed not to hold board meetings
thereby freeing up additional county workers who can serve in the polls.
44. In an effort to educate the public, the Elections Department distributed thousands of voter pamphlets to the public via U.S. mail. The department personnel also gave speeches and distributed educational material at local public schools, bookstores, the Capitola Mall, and the county fair. Media promotion included television and public radio interviews and press releases.
Response from the Elections Officer:
In addition, a flyer introducing the new voting system was mailed to
every registered voter. County Sample Ballots are also mailed to every
registered voter in addition to being available on our website at www.votescount.com
45. Despite the education campaign, some voters were confused as to how to mark their ballots. For example, some voters who used the paper ballots did not understand how to connect the arrows to the candidate or issue they were voting on.
Response from the Elections Officer:
We found voters were better
able to follow this new voting method than when we switched from a punch card
voting system to a marking system. Even with the previous Mark-A-Vote ballot,
voters often circled choices or made some other mark to make their selections.
We continue to try to improve ways to educate voters on how to mark their
ballots.
46. In general, voters who used the touch screen machine seemed unaware of the importance of verifying their votes by comparing them with the compilation of their ballot that was visible through a window on the machine.
Response
from the Elections Officer:
It’s hard to say what voters find important. Some voters mark a paper
ballot so quickly they fail to vote the back side. I believe all voting takes
time, care and consideration and choices whether made electronically or on
paper require double checking to ensure the voter marked his/her choices as
intended. Certainly checking the paper record on a touch screen unit to confirm
the electronic record provides reassurance that the vote was recorded
accurately, if the voter wants that reassurance. Poll workers will be asked to
remind touch screen voters to verify their votes on the VVPAT.
47. County
election officials determined that
there would be one touch screen at each
polling place. The new scanner would be the main voting machine. They reported
that this choice proved to be a good decision. Not only did it provide the
necessary accommodations for voters with disabilities,
but it
also ensured the reliability of the voting process. Having
a mixture of technologies ensured that votes could be cast
in the
event of equipment failures. For example, if
the touch
screen
printer jammed, except for those who are
sight impaired, voters had an option to
use a
paper ballot.
48. A recent news release
announced that Florida will shift its voting system to a system of casting
paper ballots counted by scanning machines. Several counties around the country
will be moving to adopt the touch screen system with the paper trail.
49. On
election day, the
One hundred and four poll workers out
of a total of 917 in Santa Cruz County were surveyed. They were asked to rate
aspects of the voting experience from 1 to 5, with five being the best rating
possible. The results were as follows:
§·
Training
materials: 4.3
§·
Overall preparation: 4.0
§·
Adequacy of election day
staffing: 4.5
§·
Ease of equipment set up: 4.3
§·
Workers indicated they
wanted more training on the machines and “hands on” practice.
50. The
§·
Only about 19 percent of
the sample chose to use the touch screen machines.
§·
One
hundred percent of those who chose to use the touch screen felt comfortable
using it.
·
Ten percent of those who chose to use the
paper ballot with optical scanner felt uncomfortable using it.
51. Members
of the
52. During
the November 2006 election, it was observed that most poll workers gave paper
ballots to the voters and did
not indicate that the touch screen method was available.
53. It was
also observed that not all voters were offered a receipt
for voting when they used the touch screen
machine.
2.1.
It is a matter of national priority to
have a transparent electronic process and accurate election results.
1.2.
The County Elections Department has done a
good job of securing the voting data. It has
provided traceable seals, “stand-alone”
cartridge creation and storage, extensive testing, detailed procedures and
complete systems backup.
3. The touch screen voting machine adopted by the county uses a voter-verified paper trail which provides verifiable voting results and a method for testing. This system, combined with a good audit procedure, ensures voting accuracy.
4.
For the November 2006 election,
Sequoia Systems not only supplied the test cases, but also assisted in the
testing. There was no independently controlled
testing in addition to
what the vendor provided.
5.
The Elections Department warehouse — where the cartridges are prepared and
stored until ready for shipment to the polling place — is sufficiently
secure. Besides being badge access
controlled, it is protected by the First Alarm
Security System.
6.
Proper procedures are in place to ensure the
security of the data.
7. All types of equipment had problems. Printers jammed, and two or three scanners failed. Proactive planning by the Elections Department helped mitigate these problems.
8. The 400C Ballot Counter had problems that need to be corrected in the future. Although it counted the votes quickly, some ballots were damaged when they were ejected from the machine.
9. The Elections Department was proactive in creating written procedures for all aspects of the election process and identifying areas of improvement after the election. Poll workers were supplied with good procedures to do their jobs.
10. The touch screen set up provided adequate wheel chair access. The Elections Department was proactive in re-engineering the machine support legs to accommodate a wheel chair. However, the placement of the touch screen computers in some polling places contributed to the lack of voter privacy, Also, some co-located precincts shared a touch screen, which confused some voters when they were asked to identify their precinct.
11. The fact that Santa Cruz County is not flat in several locations and uses many older buildings as polling sites led to a lawsuit against the county alleging the county’s failure to comply with accessibility regulations. The parties agreed to settle the lawsuit without finding that the county had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
12. Because several staffers had to be both trainers and trainees, the Elections Department was stretched very thin in training for the new voting system. Due to this shortage of staff and time crunches, some poll workers were not completely prepared. Even though the poll workers were trained to advise voters that the touch screen was available for their use, most workers presented the paper ballot as the only option.
13. Voter awareness and understanding of the new voting process could have been better. Even though voters were informed about the new process, many lacked a good understanding of how it differed from the previous process, and some were confused about the new ballots. Many understood that the touch screen was new but did not realize that their paper ballot was being scanned, which was a new process.
14. Although there was some confusion over the new process, most voters felt comfortable using the new equipment.
15. Although this change in the voting system complied with the “Help America Vote Act,” using the new technology did, in fact, take longer, cost the county more and required more staff and testing.
16.
The strategy to put just one touch screen
at each polling place proved
to be a good one. It satisfied the requirements for voter accessibility
while providing more
current technology for voters. The mixture of technology also
provided backup. If the printer or other equipment had a problem, voters had
another way to cast their votes.
1. The Elections Department should continue to make security improvements, thereby ensuring the integrity of the data.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Yes. We are continually making
security improvements and developing plans to comply with the requirements of
the SOS.
2. Because this was the first year using the new electronic voting system, the Elections Department relied heavily upon the vendor for testing and support. In the future, the Election Department needs to create and conduct its own testing program.
3.Response from the Elections Officer:
The department did its own
testing with the assistance of a Logic and Accuracy Board. The vendor was not
involved with testing. The vendor did help make repairs, but staff have now
been trained to make all repairs.
3. The use of the verifiable paper trail on the touch screen voting machine has proven successful. Pubic awareness of this method of verification should be stressed in the future.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Verification and careful voting
on all systems is imperative and will continue to be stressed.
4. The poll workers should continue to follow procedures established for ensuring the security of the data, which include traceable seals on the memory packs and results cartridges and procedures for handling the seals. If a seal is found broken on a machine, that machine should not be used. In addition, all machines which have a broken seal at the end of the day, should undergo a full manual count.
Response: The Elections Officer AGREES.
This is also included in the SOS
conditions for use of the equipment.
5. The Elections Department should work with the vendor to solve the various problems that arose with the ballot counter damaging ballots.
Response from the Elections Officer:
User group meetings with the vendor
are held regularly and always have been to solve various problems that come up
at all elections.
6. The Elections Department should set up procedures for auditing the absentee ballots.
Response from the Elections Officer:
State law requires this and it will
be done.
7. Because comprehensive poll worker training proved difficult to provide with a limited staff and it is important to have most poll workers trained on the machines, staffing should be increased so that the management is not stretched too far by overseeing the election process while also training other staff and temporary employees.
Response from the Board of Supervisors:
This recommendation has been implemented. One new Program Coordinator
was added to the Elections Department in the 2006-07 budget. In addition, the training process was
complicated last year due to the new system and the short planning/preparation
time available due to the state process. The department will also be utilizing
training videos to enhance training of poll workers.
Response from the Elections Officer:
The Elections Department has a
new position added to our 2007/08 budget that will focus on polling places and
voting equipment. The training videos will also provide a great resource to
enhance our training.
8. In future elections, the touch screen machines should be set up to provide more privacy for the voter. The side panels should also be larger for privacy in voting.
Response from the Elections Officer:
We continue to work with the
vendor on this.
9. Each precinct should have its own touch screen in the future to avoid voter confusion.
10.Response from the Elections Officer:
This will be accomplished
following the SOS review and approval of the extended HAVA contracts, but it
may not occur in time for the February 2008 Presidential Primary.
10. Because the “ledger” size of the paper ballots was too large to fit comfortably in the old polling booths, the size of the paper should be adjusted to solve this problem.
Response from the Elections Officer:
It was an extra long ballot. Ballots
in the primary will not be so long. It also saved us from moving to a two-card
ballot that can cause problems when voters lose one card or only notice one
card.
11. Because of the common practice of storing the equipment at the polling place supervisor’s house overnight, these supervisors should be identified as far in advance as possible to allow for additional training on security procedures and the vulnerability of the equipment.
Response from the Elections Officer:
That is always our plan to
recruit our inspectors early on and train them. However, cancellations always
occur and we have to fill the position and provide last-minute training when
needed. We are looking into a tamper-proof bag for the voting units and
development of a security plan that will be given SOS approval so we can
continue this method of equipment deployment. In the meantime, we are looking
into other ways to ensure practical and secure voting equipment deployment.
12. The Elections Department should plan to strengthen its “advertising” campaign for future elections. It should focus on educating the voters to verify the paper trail when using the touch screen equipment.
Response from the Elections Officer:
Verifying correctly voted electronic
and paper ballots will be stressed.
13. The Elections Department should review the appendix to this report and take appropriate action based on poll worker and public responses.
Response: The Elections Officer AGREES.
14. Since a number of poll workers dropped out the night before and morning of election day, requiring substitutes that were not trained, a pool of trained alternate poll workers should be available on election day to substitute in case of poll worker absenteeism.
Response from the Elections Officer:
We always have about a dozen people who are trained report to our office
at 6 a.m. on Election Day to be deployed as needed. Election Code Section 12313
does allow the following: If any member
of a precinct board does not appear at the opening of the polls on the morning
of an election, those voters present, including members of the board, shall
appoint a voter to fill the vacancy. If
none of the members appointed appears at that time, the voters of the precinct
present at that time may appoint a board.
1. The Elections Department has provided a secure warehouse to protect the equipment and store the data. They have done an excellent job with physical security.
2. Since all types of the new voting equipment had operational problems, the Elections Department should be commended for using a mixed equipment approach that allowed for backup in case a machine had problems. Except for the visually impaired, this approach mitigated most problems.
3. The Elections Department did an excellent job of ensuring that the votes were tallied correctly. Procedures were put in place to ensure a starting count of zero, traceable seals, verifiable paper trail and a 10 percent manual count.
4. The Election Department provided all workers with good procedures to do their jobs. Written procedures will ensure the smooth operations of future elections.
5. The Elections Department should be commended for being proactive in making the environment available for the voters with disabilities.
6.
The Elections Department deserves a major commendation
on its strategy of putting just
one touch
screen
at each polling place.
Entity
|
Findings
|
Recommendations
|
Respond
Within
|
|
Santa
Cruz County Board of Supervisors |
|
7 |
60 Days September 1, 2007 |
|
Elections
Officer |
1 - 46 |
1-14 |
90 Days October 1, 2007 |
Interviewed:
· County Clerk and Election Department staff
· Department Information Systems Specialist
· Information Systems Anyaly6st
· Assistant County Clerk
·
Electronic Voting Expert
Reviewed:
·
Board Minutes
·
County Reports.
·
Newspaper Articles
Web
Sites:
·
Santa Cruz County Elections Department. This has a
great deal of information about the plan for the last November election and
links to info on the products to be used. There is also information about the
bidding and selection process. (http://votescount.com/).
·
Online flash demo of use of a touch screen voting
machine. http://sequoiavote.com/demo.php?lang=vv
·
Brochure of the new optical scan system. http://www.sequoiavote.com/docs/insight.pdf
·
Link to the Sequoia Brochure describing the touch
screen machines. http://sequoiavote.com/docs/AVCEdge.pdf
·
A national website devoted to the controversy. www.blackboxvoting.org
·
A 38 page report from an Secretary of State funded
study. http://accurate-voting.org/2006/02/19/security-analysis-of-the-accubasic-interpreter.pdf
·
A panel appeared on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer,
discussing this issue. This is a
transcript of that telecast. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june06/voting_06-15.html
·
An executive summary of the “Secure Electronic
Registration and Voting Experiment” (SERVE) A few lines down is a link to click
to the author’s bios. http://servesecurityreport.org/
·
The official site of the California Secretary of
State: http://www.ss.ca.gov/
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