Division of Elections WorkshopDivision of Elections Workshop

Donald L. Palmer, DirectorDonald L. Palmer, Director500 South Bronough Street, Room 316500 South Bronough Street, Room 316

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250850/245.6200850/245.6200

elections.myflorida.comelections.myflorida.com

Lessons Learned and Frequently Lessons Learned and Frequently Asked QuestionsAsked Questions

Election AdministrationElection Administration Municipal issuesMunicipal issues SolicitationSolicitation Qualifying candidatesQualifying candidates

Voting SystemsVoting Systems ModemModem Bilingual and Trilingual BallotsBilingual and Trilingual Ballots Election Night ReportingElection Night Reporting ReportsReports Beta TestsBeta Tests

List MaintenanceList Maintenance FelonsFelons

FVRS – Upgrades and MaintenanceFVRS – Upgrades and Maintenance UOCAVAUOCAVA Vendor submissions for Certification 2011 Vendor submissions for Certification 2011

Municipal IssuesMunicipal Issues

DOE has no authority to interpret city DOE has no authority to interpret city charters or ordinances, so requests for charters or ordinances, so requests for interpretations to you should be referred interpretations to you should be referred to city attorneys.to city attorneys.

Reminder: In the absence of a city charter Reminder: In the absence of a city charter or when the ordinance provision changes or when the ordinance provision changes the effect of the Election Code for the the effect of the Election Code for the municipality, the Code applies to municipality, the Code applies to municipal elections. See s. 101.3605(1), municipal elections. See s. 101.3605(1), Florida StatutesFlorida Statutes

No Solicitation ZoneNo Solicitation Zone

Lack of marking and enforcement Lack of marking and enforcement within the 100-foot zonewithin the 100-foot zone

SOEs need to ensure the 100-foot SOEs need to ensure the 100-foot zone is clearly and properly marked zone is clearly and properly marked and enforcedand enforced

Precinct deputies should be alert to Precinct deputies should be alert to maintain good order at the pollsmaintain good order at the polls

Qualifying CandidatesQualifying Candidates

Candidates need to ensure compliance Candidates need to ensure compliance with Resign-to-Run: Section 99.102, with Resign-to-Run: Section 99.102, Florida Statutes.Florida Statutes.

Candidates should be referred to FAQs on Candidates should be referred to FAQs on the DOE website, which addresses Resign-the DOE website, which addresses Resign-to-Run in detailto-Run in detail

Candidates need to pay close attention to Candidates need to pay close attention to financial disclosure forms (CE Forms 1 and financial disclosure forms (CE Forms 1 and 6). Several lawsuits originated due to 6). Several lawsuits originated due to incorrect reportingincorrect reporting

Lessons Learned - Voting SystemsLessons Learned - Voting Systems

Modem TransmissionModem Transmission Verify the phone line is an analog line or Verify the phone line is an analog line or

a filtered digital line – connecting a filtered digital line – connecting modem to digital line could destroy the modem to digital line could destroy the modemmodem

Verify each tabulation device’s modem Verify each tabulation device’s modem is workingis working

Lessons Learned - Voting SystemsLessons Learned - Voting Systems

Bi- or Tri-lingual ballotsBi- or Tri-lingual ballots Consider one language ballot as Consider one language ballot as

requested by the voterrequested by the voter Number of sheets, time to scan each Number of sheets, time to scan each

sheet, and potential ADA issues may be sheet, and potential ADA issues may be factors to consider on approachfactors to consider on approach

Ballot-on-DemandBallot-on-Demand Allow absentee ballot request by Allow absentee ballot request by

languagelanguage

Lessons Learned - Voting SystemsLessons Learned - Voting Systems

Election Night ReportingElection Night Reporting Consider uploading early voting on Consider uploading early voting on

MondayMonday Consider uploading absentee upload on Consider uploading absentee upload on

MondayMonday

Lessons Learned - Voting SystemsLessons Learned - Voting Systems

ReportsReports Use a universal format for precinct level Use a universal format for precinct level

report based on the voting systemreport based on the voting system Consider using the “Election Reporting Consider using the “Election Reporting

Manual” on DOS webpage - TBDManual” on DOS webpage - TBD Topics: Topics:

Before an Election: System acquisitionBefore an Election: System acquisition Pre-Election: L&A, election databasePre-Election: L&A, election database Election Night: export fileElection Night: export file Post-Elections: certified elections database, Post-Elections: certified elections database,

precinct level results, over/under vote report, precinct level results, over/under vote report, conduct of electionsconduct of elections

Lessons Learned - Voting SystemsLessons Learned - Voting Systems

““Election Reporting Manual”Election Reporting Manual” Items include:Items include:

Report descriptionReport description Requirement – statute or ruleRequirement – statute or rule Submission date – due dateSubmission date – due date Reason for the requirement – why doing this?Reason for the requirement – why doing this? Forms, where applicable Forms, where applicable Unique instructions based on each voting Unique instructions based on each voting

systemsystem Action necessary to satisfy the requirementAction necessary to satisfy the requirement

Lessons Learned – Voting SystemsLessons Learned – Voting Systems

County or county representing County or county representing vendor-specific counties should vendor-specific counties should consider being part of a consider being part of a Beta TestBeta Test – – before a certification eventbefore a certification event

Objective and Objective and subjectivesubjective assessment of assessment of customer (county) desires and needscustomer (county) desires and needs

BVSC will provide the certification BVSC will provide the certification plan to the counties before the plan to the counties before the conformance testconformance test

Request input for specific testing - objective Request input for specific testing - objective assessment (not subjective)assessment (not subjective)

Lessons Learned – List Lessons Learned – List MaintenanceMaintenance

Certification FormsCertification Forms Contact the Division with questionsContact the Division with questions Once agreed protocols (Rule 1S.2.041) Once agreed protocols (Rule 1S.2.041)

or procedures in place, automated or procedures in place, automated reports from VR vendors should reports from VR vendors should streamline the process to provide this streamline the process to provide this list maintenance datalist maintenance data

Lessons Learned – FVRSLessons Learned – FVRSList Maintenance List Maintenance

Transfer of Felons Files Between CountiesTransfer of Felons Files Between Counties Assessment found files transferred without Assessment found files transferred without

notice to BVRSnotice to BVRS Notice to DOE/BVRS is vital to chain of Notice to DOE/BVRS is vital to chain of

custody – e-mail/faxcustody – e-mail/fax Restart clock once transferred to new countyRestart clock once transferred to new county Electronic process (Rule or protocols) should Electronic process (Rule or protocols) should

allow transfer and notification electronicallyallow transfer and notification electronically

Lessons Learned – FVRS Lessons Learned – FVRS Maintenance and UpgradesMaintenance and Upgrades

Significant degradation of FVRS since 2006 on Significant degradation of FVRS since 2006 on number of processes – outdated records number of processes – outdated records weighing down the systemweighing down the system Original limitation of the system designOriginal limitation of the system design No archiving mechanism, no limit on the growth of No archiving mechanism, no limit on the growth of

databasedatabase The lack of upgrades to Oracle and other system The lack of upgrades to Oracle and other system

products due to lack of appropriate test products due to lack of appropriate test environment environment

Performance of FVRS was sluggish, reaching Performance of FVRS was sluggish, reaching redline on non-major elections and the redline on non-major elections and the response time to counties was becoming response time to counties was becoming excessiveexcessive

Action necessary Action necessary

Lessons Learned – FVRS Lessons Learned – FVRS Maintenance and UpgradesMaintenance and Upgrades

Maintenance and upgrades necessary to Maintenance and upgrades necessary to resolve the aforementioned issues resolve the aforementioned issues Ensure that system was available, timely Ensure that system was available, timely

responsive and functions appropriately daily responsive and functions appropriately daily and leading up to Election Day.and leading up to Election Day.

While maintenance schedule set earlier in While maintenance schedule set earlier in year, the last maintenance weekend was year, the last maintenance weekend was set within 30 days of Election, no set within 30 days of Election, no significant difference from previous main significant difference from previous main window on similar issues.window on similar issues.

Lessons Learned – FVRS Lessons Learned – FVRS Maintenance and UpgradesMaintenance and Upgrades

Goal of upgrades has been and continues to Goal of upgrades has been and continues to be: be: Improve the performance of system and allow Improve the performance of system and allow

for continuity and functionality for SOEs during for continuity and functionality for SOEs during FVRS down time and minimal impact on counties FVRS down time and minimal impact on counties during maintenance windows.during maintenance windows.

Provide increased functionality while Provide increased functionality while maintenance is occurring on system including: maintenance is occurring on system including: voter look up and other functions such as voter voter look up and other functions such as voter history, elections, street segment information, history, elections, street segment information, sending of batch files, synchronization process sending of batch files, synchronization process continuation, and in the future, voter updates.continuation, and in the future, voter updates.

Lessons Learned: FVRS Lessons Learned: FVRS Maintenance and UpgradesMaintenance and Upgrades

Transparency of maintenance windows – dates Transparency of maintenance windows – dates availableavailable

Conference calls with voter registration vendors on Conference calls with voter registration vendors on work and upgrades that may impact countieswork and upgrades that may impact counties

No upgrades within 60-day window, prior to the 45 No upgrades within 60-day window, prior to the 45 days window for overseas ballots – risk benefit days window for overseas ballots – risk benefit analysisanalysis

1Q (2011): continued improvements culminating in 1Q (2011): continued improvements culminating in planned maintenance window from 11-20 March (5 planned maintenance window from 11-20 March (5 working days) for continued upgradesworking days) for continued upgrades

Post March 2011 maintenance windows – continue to Post March 2011 maintenance windows – continue to reduce the impact on counties or reduce non-reduce the impact on counties or reduce non-availability of FVRS resources during down times or availability of FVRS resources during down times or maintenance windowsmaintenance windows

Voting Systems 2011 – ES&SVoting Systems 2011 – ES&S

1Q Testing and Certification DS200 1Q Testing and Certification DS200 firmware upgrade – ES&S application.firmware upgrade – ES&S application. Source code review, mass ballot count, and Source code review, mass ballot count, and

primary/general election upload into ERMprimary/general election upload into ERM The Lab for EAC currently testing almost The Lab for EAC currently testing almost

completecomplete Summer 2011 – ES&S Unity 5.0 Summer 2011 – ES&S Unity 5.0

Electionware post EAC testing in June/JulyElectionware post EAC testing in June/July Recommend Florida county(ies) and ES&S Recommend Florida county(ies) and ES&S

conduct BETA test prior to Florida certification conduct BETA test prior to Florida certification event and before the end of federal testing.event and before the end of federal testing.

Voting Systems: Issues aheadVoting Systems: Issues ahead

UOCAVAUOCAVA Electronic ballot access (and Electronic ballot access (and

transmission) of voter marked ballotstransmission) of voter marked ballots FAX – plain textFAX – plain text Email – plain textEmail – plain text Secure Remote Electronic Access (Encrypted Secure Remote Electronic Access (Encrypted

ballot)ballot) County or Vendor will produce cryptography County or Vendor will produce cryptography

access and key managementaccess and key management Kiosk based systemKiosk based system PC based systemPC based system

Voting Systems 2011- DominionVoting Systems 2011- Dominion

Application for Dominion Democracy Suite Application for Dominion Democracy Suite – Image Cast precinct tabulator and Image – Image Cast precinct tabulator and Image Cast Central high speed tabulator, Gems IICast Central high speed tabulator, Gems II

DOE has portion of technical data packageDOE has portion of technical data package Source Code review in February (TBD)Source Code review in February (TBD) Expect into 2Q before testing completeExpect into 2Q before testing complete DOE will produce test plan to counties and DOE will produce test plan to counties and

allow counties to critique before testing allow counties to critique before testing and receive county input on any additional and receive county input on any additional particulars to be tested particulars to be tested