LWV-CC Position
Electronic Voting Systems in Collin County
2018
The League of Women Voters of Collin County supports the use of electronic voting systems as required for use in countywide vote centers. These voting systems should be secure, accurate, recountable, accessible and transparent in accordance with the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) position.
Secure: The following safeguards are needed to ensure that all parts of the system are secure from hacking or other outside interference:
- Ability to add, delete or modify all voter- and election-related data should be restricted to authorized personnel, using best practices in secure access methods, and monitored by qualified Information Technology (IT) personnel.
- Voter registration data should be entered in a decentralized database, not directly into state database.
- All computer connections between polling places and the voter registration database servers should be secure.
- Voting machines should be standalone, not on a network or the Internet, to minimize access for hacking.
- All polling place equipment should be closely monitored and secured during use and storage.
- All sensitive polling place equipment should be equipped with seals or other methods of determining whether they have been tampered with by unauthorized persons.
Accurate: LWVUS position states that the voting machine must employ a paper ballot that the voter can verify while in the process of voting that is the official record of the voter’s intent. In addition, the following measures are needed to ensure that each recorded vote accurately reflects the voter’s intention and that votes are tabulated and reported accurately:
- If a voter receives an incorrect precinct ballot, or inadvertently selects an unintended option or candidate, the voter should be able to receive a corrected ballot.
- The voting machine should provide clear instructions and user interface features to prevent voter confusion in making selections and casting votes.
- The program used for ballots should be tested for every ballot style and voting option, with at least two persons verifying each test.
- The voting system should provide adequate reports to facilitate audits and recounts.
Recountable: A paper ballot/record is to be used for audits and recounts.
Accessible: Voting systems and procedures should make it easy and convenient for all voters to cast their votes, as follows:
- Persons with disabilities must be able to cast votes using equipment and/or processes that accommodate their disabilities.
- Voters should be able to receive language translation when needed.
- Training in use of machines should be available to voters.
- Training should be required for all poll workers.
Transparent: The public, or representatives of the public, should be able to observe and provide input to different aspects of the election process, as follows:
- The public and representatives of the public should be able to participate in the evaluation of voting machines being considered for purchase and use.
- The public should be provided information about methods used to test voting machines being prepared for elections.
- The public and representatives of the public should be able to observe the use of voting machines in the polling places.
- Representatives of the public should be able to observe the tabulation of votes at the close of an election; the public should be provided information about how tabulation is done.
- Where political parties have a role, all parties on the ballot and representatives of the public should have the opportunity to participate.
- Public notice should be given when there are opportunities for public input.