Electronic voting systems--both the optical scan systems that count paper ballots and the direct recording electronic (DRE) "touchscreen" voting systems--produce about a dozen different "audit logs" after each election. It is difficult (sometimes impossible) and expensive for citizens to try to obtain these logs, even though they are public records. The logs can reveal procedural problems, problems with the machines themselves, and fraud. Currently, the more an elections administrator has to hide, the harder it is to obtain these records. Our non-profit, nonpartisan, election watchdog organization has spent thousands of dollars trying to obtain these audit logs from Florida counties. Some counties are cooperative, but in some cases we are still waiting for records as far back as the 2004 election, or have been told they are "lost," "the hard drive failed," "the logs are not in human readable form," and other suspect reasons for not producing the most basic information about the conduct of an election. It would be very simple for elections offices to post these logs on the website of each county's election department immediately following every election -- it is simply an electronic transfer of these records. In fact, there is no good reason NOT to post these logs except to cover up machine malfunctions, incompetence, malfeasance, or some other problem. The "poll tapes" (results tapes) from each machine should also be posted. These tapes are supposed to be public information, but in some places such as Pima County, Arizona, citizens have been told that these results tapes are "secret." The poll tapes can be a vital check on election results and should never be secret. Requiring them to be posted online would allow every citizen to look at his/her own precinct and would help to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the election.
Post Voting System Electronic Audit Logs online in every jurisdiction
Tags: election records
Comments (3)
why not post to Data.gov?
The most efficient and accurate way of showing the public the results free of transcription errors etc.
3. Paper Ballot Requirement: The use of paperless voting machines will henceforth be disallowed for presidential and congressional elections in all states. Paper ballot provides a concrete record of voter will and intent. The use of voting machines should never be allowed in any state; there will always be a will to defraud and whenever there is a will there is a way.
• Provisional ballots should count as a vote. Modern election fraud is about throwing out votes and provisional ballots are generally not counted as a vote.
• Election Day should be on a weekend. Voting should be mandatory with fines for not voting. The fine should not be steep but should encourage turn out. Business must allow workers to vote with punitive fines should they not allow workers to vote. Election Day should be reconsidered as more than one day, for instance, Saturday and Sunday.
• Institute an online voting system with Real ID as validation device. This would allow people to see that their vote was counted along with individual voting history.
• This year I sent in an absentee ballot about four weeks prior to November 4, 2008 election day. I have no way of knowing if my vote was counted or if any absentee ballot was counted. The nature of clouding election committee ballot counts must become more transparent and uniform.