EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | David B. Aragon
Organization : | N/A
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 6.7
Page no. : | 6-26
Line no.: | 27
Comment : | §6.7 p. 6-26 line 27 Add after current contents: However, the Election Day scenario poses challenges beyond what a radio emissions site test is usually expected to encounter in, e.g., an office building. First, the site test requires equipment and trained personnel not usually employed by election officials. Second, the number of sites to survey (polling places) is very large - much larger than the number of sites in even a major business enterprise. Third, many polling places are not available to survey until shortly before the election, so time may not suffice to survey many of them. Fourth, if surveyed well in advance, they may change their RF characteristics by moving furniture, room dividers etc., as well as the wireless equipment itself, between the site survey and the election. Fifth, the sites are small (typically a single large room), so that most of the site is close to the perimeter through which RF can pass. Sixth, a radio emissions site test cannot, of course, detect emissions tram devices that are not present or not active at the time of the site test. The last two points above - close perimeter and the mobility of wireless devices - taken together, make it particularly difficult to predict the RF environment within a polling place. It is the nature of RF wireless devices to be mobile. Polling places are often in multi-purpose buildings. RF wireless devices such as cell phones, portable computers, and PDAs may be used in adjacent rooms, by people who were not present or not using their wireless equipment during the site test.