Election Observing: Monitoring the Count in California 2006

1
Election Observing Monitoring the Count in
California 2006

• Michelle Gabriel
• 10/5/06
• Mwg_at_jmbaai.com

2
Agenda

• Introductions 10 minutes
• Overview 10 minutes
• Preparation 15 minutes
• Pre-election day 15 minutes
• Election day 20 minutes
• Break 10 minutes
• Post Election day 30 minutes
• Feedback 10 minutes

3
Introduction

• How to monitor the count for the November
  election
• Learn how to prepare, what to look for, what to
  document, what to do with your information, how
  you can help

4
Hello!

• Your tourguide today is.
• Have you ever observed an election?
• Have you ever been a pollworker?
• Have you ever been a pollwatcher?
• What do you want to learn today?

5
Overview

• Election monitoring work starts long before the
  election and ends long after the election.
• Elections are the mechanics of Democracy

6
10 important California dates

• 10/09/2006 First day registered voters can
  apply for an absentee ballot for the November 7th
  election.
• 10/10/2006 Last day to register to vote and be
  assured of sample ballot
• 10/23/2006 Last day to register to vote
• 10/31/2006 Last day for absentee ballots to be
  sent by RoVs
• 10/31/2006 Last day to apply for an absentee
  ballot
• 10/31/2006 Last day to apply for permanent
  absentee voter status
• 11/07/2006 Election Day, if in line at 8 pm you
  can vote
• 12/05/2006 Official canvas end, county
  elections official must certify and submit
  results to the board of supervisors
• 12/16/2006 Canvas to be certified, 39 days
  after election
• 12/22/2006 Last day to apply for a recount, 5
  days after certification

7
What can I observe?

• Before the election
• During the Voting
• After the Polls Close

8
Why am I monitoring?

• Which apply to you? I want to
• make sure the count is accurate
• catch the staff making a mistake so I can nail
  them
• let the bad guys know that Im watching so they
  wont try anything
• make sure the laws are followed
• .collect evidence

9
Preparation

• Background
• Talking to the RoV
• Observing Day

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Background Vocabulary

• DRE vs. Touchscreen
• VVPAT
• RoV
• BoS
• SoS
• Opti-scan
• Memory card

11
Background Equipment depends on use

• Polls
• DRE
• Precinct based optiscan PCOS
• Disabled accessible
• Central count
• High speed optiscan
• Tabulator

12
Background Equipment
DRE Ballot Marking Device PCOS High speed Optiscan Tabulator
Diebold TSx None OS Optical scan Accuvote OS
Sequoia Edge II None Optech Insight
ESS none Automark Model 100 Model 650
Hart eSlate None Hart Optical scan
13
Background Election Officials Organization
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Background State vs. county

• State law is very slim and ambiguous on observing
• RoVs have a lot of leeway in what they do and
  dont do
• Not all state laws are followed or followed to
  the letter of the law

15
Talking to the RoV

• Prepare questions and send in advance
• Arrange a time to meet
• Dont be confrontational, break down their
  defensiveness
• Take the moral high ground
• Listen

16
Talking to the RoV

• Overview of how the vote is counted
• Observing guidelines vs. what is needed
• List of who will be observing what
• Get things in writing
• Public Records Requests

17
Talking to the RoV

• Key things to ask for
• Copies of procedure manuals
• Results posted on the web in machine readable
  formats
• Transparent and random choice of precincts for 1
  manual tally
• Procedures for discrepancies in the 1 manual
  tally

18
Observing Day

• Bring these with you on any observation
• Pencil, pens, paper, notebook
• Video camera, digital camera, cell phone
• Watch, laptop, binoculars
• Snacks
• Phone numbers backup, incident reporting, legal
  help hotline, local news reporters
• Election incident report forms ( TBD)

19
Observing Day

• Keep these concepts in mind
• Write it down!!!
• Keep observing notes separate from criticism and
  analysis
• Include everything in your notes
• Get information out into the public

20
Observing Day

• Oh Behave!!! -Austin Powers
• Make no contact with any voter inside the polling
  place
• Wear no political gear or partisan insignias
• Defer to election judge or pollworker.
• Be flexible
• Smile ?

21
Pre-election

• Logic and Accuracy Testing
• List of machines
• Every candidate, every language, audio?
• Central tabulator?

22
Pre-election

• Absentee Ballot processing
• Signature verification
• Procedures for non matches
• When does tally begin?
• Who has access to results?

23
Pre-election

• Pollworker training
• VVPATs explained?
• Security explained?
• Procedures if security violated

24
Election Day

• Poll opening
• Zero tapes
• Late opening how many people left?
• Repairmen?
• Paper ballots
• Check security seals if possible

25
Election Day

• Long day at the polls
• Machine incidents
• Denial of service
• Paper ballots?
• Repairmen?
• VVPAT?

26
Election Day

• Poll closing
• Posting of results
• Security

27
Polls are closed.

• Chain of custody
• Transfers
• Two people in the car with the ballots
• Tracking inventory
• Accumulation point processing
• Who has access to the ballots

28
Polls are closed

• Central count
• Audit log
• Repairmen
• Interim reports
• Handling of memory cards
• Security

29
Polls are Closed

• 1 Manual Tally
• Choosing the precincts
• Open
• Random
• After counts are in
• Ballots include
• DRE VVPATs
• Opti-Scan sheets
• Absentee, provisional

30
Polls are closed

• 1 manual tally
• Tally sheets
• Observable
• Consistent
• Discrepancies
• Procedures
• Reports

31
Polls are closed

• Reconcile/ Official Canvas
• DRE spoiled ballot report
• Results posted in machine readable format
• Registered vs. voted count in county and by
  precinct
• Odd vote trends
• Match posted on door at poll close
• Summation agrees

32
Polls are closed

• Who do I tell?
• Verified Voting webforms
• RoV, SoS, BoS
• Reporters
• BlackBoxVoting
• Candidates
• Elected officials

33
Prioritizing and Planning

• Equipment prep
• Polling
• Poll closing
• Central Count
• 1 manual tally
• Reconcile

34
2008????

• What if Bowen doesnt win?
• When do we start planning?

35
Feedback
36
Where to Get More Information

• www.countedascast.com
• www.verifiedvoting.com
• www.themmob.com
• www.pfaw.com
• www.ss.ca.gov/elections