Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder-Elections
April 17, 2008
Contact:
Warren Slocum, Chief Elections Officer
Phone: (650) 363-4988 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org
Alternate:
David Tom, Elections Manager
Phone: (650) 312-5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org
Logic & Accuracy Testing Begins April 21st for the June Statewide Direct Primary Election
Process Ensures Accuracy of Counting Software
Redwood City, CA - On April 21, 2008, the San Mateo County Elections Office will begin the Logic & Accuracy (L & A) testing of the eSlate Voting System in preparation for the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election at the Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo.
L & A testing consists of procedures necessary to ensure hardware and software to be used in the election is working properly. Any member of the public is welcome to observe the L & A process.
As required by law, the Elections Office invites representatives from the political party central committees in San Mateo County. In addition to the county central committee members, any interested member of the public may observe the L&A process, or any other process at the Elections Division.
Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum stated, “Election processes must be open and transparent in order to instill public confidence. We encourage the participation of observers in the L & A process and we dedicate staff to answer questions that observers may have as they watch the process. We also publish an 'Election Observer’s Guide' to educate observers as to the steps involved in various election processes and that publication is also posted on our website, www.shapethefuture.org. The more transparency we can give our processes, the more confidence we hope that people will have in their democracy.”
The first portion of the L & A testing process will test the accuracy of the electronic voting system used by voters at the two Universal Voting Centers (one at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo and the other at 555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City) and at the polls on Election Day. L & A testing of the eSlates will take six to ten days.
When the electronic voting process is tested, testers cast ballots that mirror the current election from a pre‐determined “matrix.” When they finish voting the entire matrices, the tabulations must be a perfect match in order for the equipment to pass the L & A test.
The second portion of the L & A testing is focused on the accurate tabulation of paper ballots that are scanned on the Ballot Now machines at Tower Road. It will commence once the testing of the electronic voting process is complete. With nearly 40 percent of the county’s voters already signed up to vote by mail and half of the turnout (or more) being tabulated on this equipment, both the paper and electronic counting processes must be thoroughly tested.
So how does this testing process work? Before any testing begins, the development of testing matrices for early voting, voting by mail, and Election Day voting are created. The testing matrices for voting a paper ballot are identical to the testing matrices for voting an electronic ballot. Only the conduct of the testing changes.
How are the test matrices created? For the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election, there will be 660 different ballot styles (220 individual ballot styles in 3 different languages). The Elections staff will mark “test” ballots with predetermined votes so that every candidate and contest is voted for at least once in varying vote combinations on the test ballots during this process. Test ballots also contain write‐in votes, undervotes and overvotes to ensure that they will accurately reflect all potential voter choices.
The L & A testing process will require 20 staff exclusively dedicated to the testing process. Interested observers are encouraged to call the Elections Manager, David Tom at (650) 312‐5222.
Information about the upcoming June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election is available online at the San Mateo County Elections Division web site at www.shapethefuture.org or by calling 650‐312‐5222.
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