Entries tagged as ‘Testing’
September 17, 2008 · 2 Comments
Logic & Accuracy testing is making great headway as our team verifies the correct operation of voting equipment both as individual units and as a combined system.
Every part of the testing process is going according to schedule thus far, and is expected to continue on through the end of next week. This week, the focus has been on the eSlate voting machines that are used for electronic voting throughout the County.
When testing the eSlates, six teams of two diligently go through each electronic ballot for every election multiple times until every candidate or measure has been voted at least once. The vote testing is conducted in a number of predetermined combinations to reflect every possible voting situation that may occur on Election Day, as we explained in our post on Sept. 16.
We also conduct the testing in three languages concurrently: English, Chinese, and Spanish. San Mateo County Elections materials are offered in these three languages, including paper and electronic ballots.
The next phase of L&A testing is the verification of correct operation for the BallotNow machines, which tabulate votes on paper ballots. This part of the testing process is scheduled to begin next week.
Categories: Ballots · Elections Office · Vote counting · Voting · eSlates
Tagged: Logic and accuracy, Testing, eSlates, Ballots, firmware, electronic voting equipment, L&A, L&A Testing, Presidential General Election, November 4 Election, November Presidential Election
By writing this blog and detailing the inner workings of the San Mateo County Elections Office, we are hoping to constantly increase the level of openness and transparency of our processes. However, while transparency is a goal, accuracy is a requirement.
This is why we conduct Logic and Accuracy testing of the voting process. Beginning Sept. 16, and scheduled to last approximately two business weeks, L&A testing of the eSlate voting machines and BallotNow paper ballot tabulation machines, will be conducted to verify that everything operates properly both as individual units and as a combined system.
As we’ve explained in previous posts, L&A testing is split into two basic portions. The first portion of L&A tests the accuracy of the eSlate voting system that is used by voters at the two early voting centers (one at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo and the other at 555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City) and at the polls on Election Day.
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Categories: Ballots · Campaigns/Political parties · Election Day/Night · Elections Office · Results · Testing · Vote counting · Voting · eSlates
Tagged: Logic and accuracy, Testing, eSlates, Ballots, firmware, electronic voting equipment, L&A, L&A Testing, Presidential General Election, November 4 Election, November Presidential Election
Monday marked the beginning of Logic and Accuracy testing in preparation for the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary. Unlike May’s L&A testing process, which took less than a day to complete, L&A testing for June is expected to last about six to ten days.
We know that we’ve told you before what L&A testing is all about, but it’s a process that is vital to the transparency and accuracy of the whole election process. So we’re going to tell you about it again.
Designed to ensure that the hardware and software used in the election works correctly, L&A testing verifies that everything operates properly both as individual units and as a combined system.
How does this process work exactly ? L&A testing is split into two basic portions. The first portion of L&A tests the accuracy of the eSlate voting system that is used by voters at the two Universal Voting Centers (one at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo and the other at 555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City) and at the polls on Election Day.
After the first portion of testing is complete, L&A then focuses on the BallotNow machines – machines that are used to tabulate paper ballots. These tests are conducted to make sure that the end results of the tabulation match what was actually voted. The Elections staff will mark “test” ballots with predetermined votes so that every candidate and contest is voted for at least once in varying vote combinations on the test ballots during this process. We even throw in some write-in votes, under-votes, and over-votes to truly reflect what may actually happen when voters make their choices on Election Day.
So what’s the big deal about L&A testing, and why is June’s testing so different from May’s process?
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Categories: Ballots · Elections Office · Testing · Vote counting · eSlates
Tagged: Logic and accuracy, Testing, eSlates, Ballots, firmware, electronic voting equipment, L&A, L&A Testing
With only four days left until the voters of the 12th Congressional District get the opportunity to select a new U.S. Rep. during April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary Election, the Elections Office is kicking things into high gear.
Rows of red reach into each corner of the warehouse, screaming for attention amidst the tan and metal. At 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, barely past dawn, those Red Supply Cases will be granted their wish as they are tucked into the Elections Office vans for the second time in as many months.
While Tuesday may not be the Tsunami that Feb. 5 represented, the timing of the election places it in the middle of an election cycle that has not one, not two, not even three, but five, distinctly different elections that each ask voters to turn their attention to a separate issue.
Five elections in one year – it may not seem like much, but consider that San Mateo County typically hosts only two elections (the Primary Election and the General Election) during a presidential cycle.
So how do we keep track of everything? One word – “multitasking.”
As the supplies get transferred to their requisite polling locations for Tuesday’s election, a whole separate section of the office hunkers down in the ballot processing room for Logic & Accuracy (L&A) testing in preparation of the May 6 Portola Valley Elementary School District Special Mail Ballot Election.
Three cities south in Redwood City, the Graphics team holes up in their cubes tapping away furiously at keyboards and mouse buttons to finalize the June 5 Statewide Direct Primary Election Sample Ballots for production.
Categories: Elections Office · Graphics · Testing · eSlates
Tagged: April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary Election, Election preparation, Elections Office, eSlates, Graphics team, June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election, L&A, May 6 Portola Valley Elementary School District Special, supplies, Testing
An acronym followed by the word “test” hardly sounds worth reading about, but L&A testing, as it’s known in Elections speak, is critical to ensuring the accuracy of your vote.
Its formal name is Logic and Accuracy Testing, and it got underway at 40 Tower Road this week. Things were hopping this afternoon – with about 25 San Mateo County Elections folk focused on the task - and should finish up by the end of the day Friday.
So, what the heck is it? Simple. It’s all about making sure that the programs installed on voting equipment, as well as the equipment itself, read and record votes the way voters intend. Testing is completed using dozens of extra hands at the Elections Office who spend hours following specific instructions to cast test ballots that cover all the candidates and races in November’s election.
Elections Manager David Tom explains L&A this way: “Here’s a set of predetermined votes. Vote it on the machine. And the machine better return the same results.”
It’s the primary pre-election testing of the system, simulating a real election.
“This is for us to be certain that the program that is used on Election Day is accurate,” Tom said.
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Categories: Elections Office · Testing · eSlates
Tagged: Ballots, eSlates, Logic and accuracy, Testing
Logic & Accuracy testing is making great headway as our team verifies the correct operation of voting equipment both as individual units and as a combined system.
