EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Linda H. Lamone
Organization : | Maryland State Board of Elections
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
General Comments
Comment : | The usability study, which is being conducted by the Center for American Politics and Citizenship at the University of Maryland, College Park, will cover the following issues. 1. Elections Administration a. Does the system increase the amount of time each voter spends voting? If so, how much time and how many additional voting units would be required? i. Does the system adequately protect the secrecy of the ballot? ii. What impact will the system have on the role and responsibility of poll workers? iii. If an audit or recount is required, how effective is it to perform these functions with the proposed system? iv. From an implementation point of view, how much time would implementation take? v. What are the initial and ongoing costs of the system? vi. Are there any special storage concerns that need to be addressed to ensure that the medium on which the votes are stored is preserved? 2. Impact on Voters a. Is the system designed in a way that is easy to use? b. How do voters respond to the system? c. Does the system increase voter confidence level with electronic voting? d. Do voters understand the technology? e. Are voters able to detect discrepancies? f. Can voters with disabilities use the technology in a private and independent manner? [Statements submitted at EAC public hearing, July 28, 2005, Pasadena]