MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
MAY 2, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chairperson Stutsman called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 1:00 p.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan; absent: Terrence Neuzil.
Others present were: Black Hawk County Auditor’s Office Elections Manager Kyle Jensson, Black Hawk County Auditor’s Office Elections Staff member Jim Schroeder, Cedar County Auditor Betty Ellerhoff, Cedar County Auditor’s Office Elections Staff member Leanne Zearley, Dubuque County Auditor’s Office Elections Deputy Tom O’Neill, Iowa City Press-Citizen Reporter Deidre Bello, Iowa City Press-Citizen Reporter Matthew Holst, I-VOTE Representative Holly Hart, West Lucas Pollworker Marcia Smalley, Johnson County Auditor Tom Slockett, Johnson County Elections Deputy Steve Miller, Johnson County Elections Staff member Harry Rueber, Johnson County Elections Staff member Jim Erickson, Johnson County Elections Staff member Mona Shaw, Johnson County Minutes and Publications Deputy Julie Gilmere, Johnson County Recording Secretary Sarah Rutledge, KCRG TV 9 News Report Keisha Brown, League of Women Voters of Johnson County Representative Naomi Novick, Linn County Auditor Linda Langenberg, Linn County Elections Deputy Sue Wold, Secretary of State’s Office Representative Kaitlynn Lewis, UI Daily Iowan Reporter Nick Loomis, and UI Daily Iowan Reporter Patrick Davis.
Stutsman thanked everyone for attending and thanked the Auditor’s Office for all of the work to schedule the demonstrations. County Auditor Tom Slockett introduced ES&S Representatives Dan Erker and Mike Devereaux.
Erker said that ES&S is based out of Omaha and is the largest elections company in the country and the world. He added that over 65 counties use their equipment in Iowa. They now have solutions for every portion of the elections process. Erker added that he believes ES&S will be able to help make every portion of the election process better.
Erker said that with the Erker explained that with ES&S equipment, such as the Elections Data Manager, information is entered once. This information can then be used for the entire election process. This also allows the printing of ballots in the office on demand. He said Johnson County would be able to do all its own programming in-house. Programming could be done by staff for the touch screen devices, the ballot marking devices, the Model 100, and the 650. All of that information is brought into the Election Recording Manager, which allows the recording and transmitting of results all the way to the internet automatically. Erker said that it is one unified solution, and the solution that they propose for Johnson County to allow Johnson County to be completely self-sufficient in the elections process.
Erker said a cartridge activates the touch-screen equipment. For voting at a precinct, only that precinct’s ballot style would be available, but for satellite voting all ballot styles would be available. The touch screen voting device will allow the poll worker to select the ballot style. If the voter were to make a mistake the choices can be cleared. The machine will allow the voter to review their choices at the end of their vote. This review will show the voter not only where they did vote but also where they may have failed to vote for an office. All of these results can be produced as a paper trail in the need of a recount. The votes cannot be tied to individual voters but individual votes can be seen.
Erker also showed a prototype of another device that will be able to make a real time paper trail showing all choices of the voter. This device will be totally self contained and can be retrofitted to add paper trails later if legislation changes.
Linn County Auditor Linda Langenberg asked if paper trail equipment would attach to the DRE machine. Erker said yes. Slockett asked if the printing device displayed is actual size. Erker said no.
Neuzil arrived at 1:15 p.m.
Erker said that the heart of the system is the paper ballot using the precinct scanner. This ballot will allow the voter to use a regular ballpoint pen to mark their selection. If a mistake is made on the ballot, the system will beep at the voter when it is counted. The machine will hold the ballot in secret and the screen will tell the voter that they made a mistake. This will allow the voter to choose to spoil the ballot and get another ballot. The ballots with write-ins will be separated from other ballots so poll workers don’t have to search for the ballots. In case of failure of the system, ballots can be put in a separate bin until the problem is rectified and be fed through the scanner at the end of the day. Erker said that one of the best things about the system is that they have designed it for ease of use. He said that there are three positions for the key that the poll worker uses to operate the machine: off, open/close, and vote. By putting it in the open/close position a report will automatically be made. This report can automatically be sent to headquarters via modem.
Erker explained that with the Automark device, disabled voters can use the same paper ballot as everyone else. The system has been designed to make accommodations for blind, deaf or hard of hearing voters, as well as voters that have difficulty seeing. The system can read the ballot to the voter in secret through headphones. The ballot can also be enlarged on the screen for voters who have a hard time seeing. Erker said that the system uses a synthesized voice for ease of the voters and the elections staff. If a human voice were to be used a human being would have to read everything into the system. This would add extra steps to the process. Another benefit of the synthesized voice is that many disabled voters are already familiar with it. The speed of the voice can also be changed according to the voter’s preference. The ballot can be changed to a high contrast view to help tunnel vision or color blind voters. This system will alert the voter if a mistake is made on the ballot. If the voter wants to write-in a candidate they can do so on the screen using a touch pad or by scrolling through a list of letters. Once the voter is finished voting the machine marks the ballot for the voter and the ballot is counted in the scanner with all of the other ballots. Erker said that there are secrecy folders specially designed to add secrecy to the system for all voters. The ballot is placed in the folder and then put into the scanner. Results can either be returned to the office with an electronic storage device or transmitted by modem.
Devereaux said that another portion of the voting process is mailed absentee ballots. He said that the central counter can be very helpful and can be used for absentee ballots and/or a recount of precinct ballots. The precinct counters can count all ballots at a very high speed. Devereaux explained that they designed their system based on the SAT and ACT test counters. Devereaux invited West Lucas Pollworker Marcia Smalley to start the central counting machine. He explained that the counter reads all ballots from all precincts at the same time and counts both sides simultaneously. This machine is helpful in counting absentee ballots because it reads folded or damaged ballots easily. If the ballot is too damaged to be counted the machine will stop and tell the operator the problem. If a ballot is turned around or upside down the machine will stop and tell the operator to turn the ballot. Devereaux said that the central counter is fast, easy, and extremely accurate.
Devereaux said that elections are very important and one of the most important things is making the system easy for the poll worker. He added that without poll workers elections cannot take place so ES&S makes sure that the process is easy for the poll worker and the election official. He pointed out that all of this makes voting a positive process for the public. Devereaux explained that the process will not be too much different than what Johnson County currently does, only better. The voter will still place their ballot in the precinct counter, and the ballot will be stored in a locked bin.
Devereaux said that Dallas County, Texas, one of the biggest jurisdictions in the nation used the ES&S system and it has worked out great. Erker added that for election products to be certified in Iowa, they must meet the national 2002 Federal elections standards. The Model 650, the Model 100, and the iVotetronic are certified within the State of Iowa for use to the 2002 standards. The Automark is currently being tested for national certification and will then go through the Iowa certification process.
Stutsman asked if the precinct counter counts as fast as it runs the ballots through. Devereaux said that the counter counts at a speed of 400 ballots per minute, with a production speed on election night of 10,000 to 12,000 ballots per hour. A question was passed to the front asking if the central counting machine counted the upside down ballot. Devereaux explained that the ballot was not counted, as indicated by a flashing red light on the machine. For it to be counted it would need to be replaced in the correct direction.
League of Women Voters Representative Naomi Novick asked if the precinct counters require ballots to be inserted in a specific direction. Devereaux said that the high speed counter needs the ballots to be in the same orientation, but precinct counters do not.
R. Sullivan asked what sort of marking utensil could be used on the ballots. Devereaux said that the machines read almost every ink, but not highlighters. R. Sullivan asked if they are suggesting that the precincts provide marking devices. Devereaux said that they do suggest writing utensils be provided. He added that there will be instructions for the voter to follow.
Langenberg asked if the high-speed counter stops with a write-in. Devereaux said that the machine says that there is a write-in but counts the rest of the ballot. The ballot is then separated out so the poll worker can retrieve it and read the write-in. Devereaux said that all counties but one in Oregon use the central counter. In the last election 200,000 ballots were counted and only 11 ballots wouldn’t go through the system.
I-VOTE Representative Holly Hart asked who has access to the equipment and what sort of accuracy the equipment has. Devereaux said that the elections equipment will be in a secured location in the Auditor’s Office. He added that the machine creates a log every time someone uses it. Devereaux said that in the NIST test, the system missed one vote out of 14 million. Hart asked what Woodbury County purchased. Devereaux said they are buying the Automark, the precinct counter, and the central counter.
Lehman asked if there are any supply and demand issues anticipated. Devereaux said that their goal is not to expand exponentially, but to take care of the states they already do business with, such as Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, and North Dakota. He said one of their goals is to provide each county with a project manager so there is a single contact person.
Johnson County Auditor’s Office Elections Staff member Jim Erickson asked who prints the ballots. Devereaux said that contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t matter to ES&S. They will provide a list of several printers in the State of Iowa to choose from. ES&S can bid on the ballot printing, but other printers will also. Erker said that the bid price includes the in-house printer. The ballots have counterfeit avoidance technology. The ballot would not be able to be photocopied.
Langenberg asked how the results would get back to headquarters if the iVotetronic is used at the precinct. Erker said that results can be submitted via modem or taken in by hand.
At 2:01 p.m. the program recessed to allow people to use the equipment. The floor was opened for questions again at 2:21 p.m.
Erker thanked everyone for attending. He added that he believes their system can provide Johnson County with all of the requirements they desire for the elections process.
Recessed at 2:25 p.m.; reconvened at 4:00 p.m.
Stutsman thanked the group for attending the presentation and again thanked the Auditor’s Office for their work in putting together the presentation.
Command Central for Sequoia Representative Lee Storbeck said that he would like to talk about Optech II. He said that this is the present system used by Johnson County Elections and it is over 20 years old. He added that the system has been very reliable and very durable as well as having great accuracy. Storbeck said that Optech IIIp and Optech IIIp Eagle have since followed the Optech II. Engineers in Berkley, California designed all of these machines and all of the machines are manufactured in the United States. Storbeck went on to explain that IBM spun off their voting technology department to a company known as CES. This is the company that developed the Optech II. Storbeck said that the Optech Insight is the 4th Generation Optech machine and is the device on display today. He pointed out that the people who began working on the Optech II are still working on the Insight and are all ISO 9000 Certified. The system misses only 1 in ten million votes.
Storbeck explained that by upgrading within the system there will be no additional voter education needed as the style of marking the ballot remains the same. There will also be very little additional pollworker training needed. Storbeck said that another good thing about the Insight is that the ballot size is flexible, including the option of a three-column layout. This allows for a reduction in postage and cost of elections.
Storbeck said that Sequoia is not in the printing business and it is great to have someone close to print the ballots. It is possible to train local printers to use the system.
Storbeck pointed out that many things from the Optech II will remain the same on the Insight. The devices can read a ballot in any orientation. The memory packs remain familiar with added memory space available. The entire election is able to be stored on the new packs. Each election needs to be run as if it were going to be recounted. The scanner helps make this easier because it allows for easy counting of test ballots.
Storbeck pointed out some differences that will improve the election process. The new machines are lighter weight while still being durable. The machines can also be removed from the ballot boxes to help with storage and maintenance issues.
Storbeck said that the machine is easily used by pollworkers. Once the machine is plugged in and the PROM pack is inserted a tape will run automatically. The machine also has a timing device to show when the polls open and close. The machines will be able to read almost any ink that is used on a ballot except highlighters. Storbeck explained that if a voter makes a mistake the machine will alert them to the problem. There is a lot of flexibility in the programming to make sure that all problems are caught. The voter has an option to recast their vote or allow the machine to accept the ballot with the problem anyway. If power is lost the machine would go down, but that there is an auxiliary ballot box to hold the uncounted votes until the machines can resume. There is also a battery back up if need be. Another feature of the Insight is that the ballot box can be taken out and secured to use for transfer. There is also a ballot box that the ballots with write-ins will be separated into automatically by the machine.
Storbeck said to print results, the poll worker will turn a key to “print totals.” The machine will prompt the worker again to be sure, then when the worker enters zero on a keypad totals will print. The process is similar to the Optech II so very little retraining is needed.
Command Central for Sequoia Representative Paul Griego said that currently there are timing tracks on ballots and if they slip during the printing process, the marks could be off. With these ballots, the timing tracks cannot be corrupted and votes are not missed. The system is also easier and cheaper for the printer.
Storbeck said that HAVA regulations have required that all software be rewritten to accommodate the changes. This has been hard on vendors to become 2002 compliant. The Edge, Sequoia’s DRE system with handicap accessible features, was used in the 2004 primary and general elections in Nevada. The system was successful and supplied a paper trail. The system was also used in California and currently runs almost ten different languages. This means that the system will be more than adequate to accommodate Johnson County’s language needs. Command Central for Sequoia Representative Dennis Bengtson said on the Edge system may be activated two ways. If there is only one ballot style in a precinct, pollworkers can activate the style manually by pressing one button. If there are multiple ballot styles, a card activator can hold all of the ballot styles. The pollworker will select the appropriate ballot style and give the card activator to the voter; the voter would then place the activator in the machine to vote. Storbeck said the pollworker could also instruct the voter which ballot style to select, and the voter can select the ballot style on the screen.
Slockett asked how the voter selects the ballot style with the card. Griego said that the buttons on the card activator allow the poll worker to choose the style needed. Slockett pointed out that in a satellite voting place there can be 82 ballot styles. Storbeck said that they can work on a system that will be the easiest for all involved but that it would not be a problem to supply all 82 styles.
Bengtson said that the entire ballot can be voted with the touch screen. Write-ins can be accomplished by using a touch screen key pad. Once voting is complete a review comes up to show the voter what they have voted for. If a voter misses an office or under-votes it is highlighted in red. The voter can then choose to correct mistakes or proceed with their ballot as is. A paper verification is printed for the voter to review before casting their ballot. Storbeck said disability advocates had challenged the Eagle system and won in the District of Columbia, and the system was replaced with the Edge. Griego said the person who challenged the Eagle system has stated the Edge is probably the easiest system for blind voters to use. Storbeck said advocates for the blind prefer a paperless system and the District of Columbia had not included a paper trail.
Griego pointed out that the touch screen voting machine is so simple to use that if the machine is not being used by someone who needs the machine, any voter can step up to the machine and use it. Storbeck pointed out that if paper ballots are running low it is possible to allow everyone to vote on the touch machine as they tabulate the votes without using the paper ballots. To produce results at the end of the night, pollworkers would bring the Edge’s data cartridge to the Auditor’s Office where it would load into the Central Count 4C system.
Storbeck said that Polk County, Iowa has the central count machine. This machine is counts 400 ballots per minute. He noted that while some systems count ballots from the top down, this machine counts the ballots from the bottom up, allowing the operator to continually refill the hopper without stopping the machine. The hopper holds about 200 ballots at one time. It can also read any ballot style. The ballots do not need to be stacked in any order. The only thing that needs to be done is to unfold the ballots. Slockett asked if there is a way to change carts while continuing to operate the machine. Bengtson said that the operation is interrupted when cart needs to be emptied. Storbeck said that there are two areas to sort ballots that are under or over voted out of the main count.
Langenberg asked what the computer screen on the 400C is for. Bengtson said that it controls and monitors the system.
Storbeck pointed out that there can be auxiliary tabulation sites that are all networked together. This can allow the media to be kept in a separate room or allow a city to keep a tab on the election results for their city elections. The system can be networked with almost any election goals in mind.
Langenberg asked if there is modem capability for bringing information back to the central tabulation area. Griego said that the modem is an option to return election results to the software. Slockett said that they would probably be interested in the modem option but that there are still some polling places that do not have phone lines in a convenient location.
Storbeck said that it comes down to working with people that can support, train and retrain the office. He said that Bengtson provides support and training. Sequoia would like to see the County be self-contained so they can take care of things for themselves, but there are times that help is needed and Sequoia can provide that. Griego said that nothing is being outsourced to other fields. All of the technicians work exclusively on elections and know how election equipment should run. Storbeck pointed out that they will work with the staff to make sure everyone knows what is going on. There will be one guaranteed day of hands on service each year.
Deputy Auditor Julie Gilmere asked how heavy the top component is. Griego said it weighs about 20 pounds. Storbeck added that the entire thing is plastic so it is durable and lightweight. Black Hawk County Auditor’s Office Elections Manager Kyle Jensson asked how much The Edge weighs. Bengtson said that it weighs about 43 pounds but has a wheeled case like an airline suitcase.
Langenberg asked about the voice for The Edge. Griego said it can be synthesized, it can be a human voice, or it can be a combination of the two. He added that voice synthesizer programs currently exist only in English and Spanish, and other languages if needed could be recorded in human voice. Langenberg asked if each rotation needs to be read into the system. Griego said that he thinks it only has to be read once. Storbeck said that by being able to use natural voice the inflection and pronunciation is much better and easier to understand.
Slockett asked if the paper trail prints in different languages. Griego said a Spanish program is included and the system has the capacity for additional languages. Slockett noted that the concern that the sequential nature of the paper trail could compromise ballot secrecy, is answered by proposed legislation to require that cuts be made between printed records. Storbeck said that realistically the first ballot will be on the bottom, but once multiple ballots are in the box it is impossible to know for sure if they are in voting order. Hart asked about the paper audit trail. Griego said that it remains self-contained in the machine and can be sealed to prevent tampering.
Harney asked about supply and availability of equipment. Storbeck said that the biggest problem with getting equipment here is getting it certified at the state and federal levels. He said that the Insight is not an issue to be certified and The Edge is in the process of certification. Slockett asked about the high speed counter. Storbeck said that it will have to be re-certified as well. Griego said that it will still be the absentee vote counter.
Hart asked if it would be possible to make changes in the software to accommodate different voting systems such as instant runoff voting. Bengtson said that it can easily be modified if needed.
Langenberg noted that once the machines are certified on the federal level it will be easier to be certified on the state level. Storbeck said that it will be a shorter process at the state level in Iowa. It should not take long once federal certification is reached. Langenberg said that it is usually a one day process.
Dubuque County Auditor’s Office Elections Deputy Tom O’Neill asked if there have been changes made to the 400C. He asked about the number of ballot rotations it can handle. Storbeck said that he cannot comment on that issue exactly, but that the equipment should be able to handle it. O’Neill said that in 2002 the machine could only handle 70 ballot styles and Dubuque needed 72; the ballots from two of the rotations were incorrectly recorded as counted. Storbeck said he would be able to answer the question at a later date.
Storbeck invited everyone to come forward and look at the machinery.
Adjourned at 5:36 p.m.
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By Sarah Rutledge, Recording Secretary