Did you vote today?
Are you going to observe the tallying tonight?
How did the voting machines work?
Click here to discuss the election and/or file reports:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/discus.cgi
Click here for Nov. 8 election trouble reports:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/8/114.html
Observations: After the polls close, there are several
things we'd you to observe, if you can.
1) Poll closing activities - simply write down the process
(and any deviations from it)
2) CENTRAL TABULATOR - each jurisdiction has one location
where they add up all the votes from various polling places. They start
tallying up just as the polls close. Under the law, observers are allowed in
almost all jurisdictions.
Become a "human audit log" -- write down the
names, times, machine numbers, precinct locations etc for each anomaly.
3) Depot locations: Large jurisdictions often bring
materials from polling places to intermediary locations for transmittal to
headquarters. Again, observation is permitted in these depots in almost all
jurisdictions, but very little observation has been done.
4) Any and all handling of memory cards (credit-card sized
electronic ballot boxes). Observe and
ask questions about chain of custody.
5) Behavior of political party observers: Are they alert?
Are they watching for the right things? Do they understand points of
vulnerability?
Try to avoid the very strong temptation to become chatty
with other observers or public officials. Watch for and record small anomalies.
Almost all of the events will be humdrum and boring, but tiny observations can
be significant, so avoid the temptation to leave early after a general glance
at things. You will find elections activities to be well organized, and the
people working there will usually be quite nice. Record the procedures and the
explanations, but do not take them at face value. Many elections workers are
surprisingly unsophisticated about attack trees or failure points.
MATERIALS TO BRING WITH YOU ON OBSERVATIONS;
1. Notebook and writing implement
2. Binoculars (so you can read computer screens)
3. Video camera
4. Cell phone
Note on trouble reports: Most problems are not apparent
during the election, but appear on election night during tallying and during
the week following the election, when canvassing (auditing) is performed.
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