BBV: Survey of Primary Ballot Systems (Optical Scan)

[RedEagle]

I could use some feedback on what other counties in other states do with partisan primaries when optical scan is the voting system used. This would be a primary where the voter does not have to declare a party but must vote only in one party's primary except for nonpartisan issues. (Not a blanket primary) However, any feedback is welcome regarding how the primaries are handled.

1. Are separate ballots for each party used?

2. If so, how are nonpartisan issues handled?

3. Do you have to mark a party preference on the separate ballot? (Hey, I don't know why if it's a ballot for one party only, but I need to ask the question. Perhaps marking it tells the machine that the votes should only go to one party's candidates)

4. Does the state/county use a consolidated ballot instead?
(All-in-one)

5. If a consolidated ballot is used, do you have to mark a party preference or is your vote invalidated if you happen to mark a vote for someone outside of the party?

6. Do you know who the vendor of the system is, (ES&S, Diebold, Sequoia,....) and if you have this information also: the model numbers of the systems and the software version numbers, etc.

Thanks for any input on this.

[Zorra]

1. kick

[hang a left]

2. get back up there. n/t

[ParanoidPat]

3. I'm on my way out the door right now.......

......but will be back soon to help out. :evilgrin:

For right now this link to the election code for each state may be of some help in determining the rules that ballots are subjected to.

http://www.lawresearch.com/v2/statute/statstate.htm#elections

I'll be back in a bit, keep this kicked. :)

:kick:

[RedEagle]

14. Wisconsin.....

....allows a consolidated ballot.

What optical scan system do they use?

I can try another Google but I'll bet someone here knows.

ES&S?

(Eyes glazing over.....)

[dragonlady]

16. Milwaukee County uses ES&S optical

Here are the instructions printed at the top of the ballot:

Party Preference

If you wish to designate your party preference, complete the arrow to the right of the party of your choice. If you designate a party preference, only votes cast for that party will be counted. If you do not designate a party preference and vote for candidates of more than one party, no votes will be counted. You must vote for individual candidates.

(I think the virtue of designating a party is that if you somehow screw up and vote for someone in another party, at least you salvage the votes in your preferred party. Otherwise, all are lost.)

Everything is on one ballot. The different parties are in separate columns. There are no nonpartisan issues, at least this year.

[harmonyguy]

4. Colorado Results

The following counties ALL use some form of optical scan ballot. In each case they use separate ballots for each party, with any additional questions printed on the same ballot. Larimer County prints an extra ballot for unaffiliated voters.

Boulder County, Hart Intercivic PAPER
Broomfield, Accuvote OS
Douglas County, Accuvote OS
Grand County, ovals-not positive on brand
Grand Lake, ovals-not positive on brand
Larimer County, Accuvote OS
Mesa County, ovals-not positive on brand
Pitkin County, Accuvote OS
Pueblo County, Arrows-not positive on brand
Rio Blanco, ovals-not positive on brand
Routt County, ovals-not positive on brand
Teller County, Accuvote OS

More States to come
HG

[RedEagle]

9. Thanks HG!

Accuvote is Diebold.

They use separate ballots for the parties.

Now, if we can find a big, big city that uses Diebold in this way, with lots of PCO races on the ballot, we've got something- and ES&S and Sequoia, too.

[Cleita]

12. Look in Los Angeles in CA. Some of the polling places in the poorer

neighborhoods are cramped and have older equipment, but the more affluent neighborhoods are spacious with more modern equipment. Since I haven't lived there in some time maybe the LA DUers can help fill in.

[UrbScotty]

5. We use condensed ballots in Kent County, Michigan

You don't mark your party preference; you vote for one party's candidates, and if you vote in the other party's section, your vote is invalidated.

[AlabamaYankee]

6. Lee County, Alabama fits your criteria

1. Separate ballots are used
2. If there is a referendum or Constitutional Amendment, I believe there is a separate ballot
3. That ballot has no party preference
6. I just voted today (municipal elections) but did not note the machine types It's the "fill in the broke arrow" type of optical scan, which I really like.

[hang a left]

7. kick

[hang a left]

8. I am trying to keep you on page one.

It's happy hour around here though.

[RedEagle]

10. Thanks Everyone, This is Helping

I want to know also why someone would have to mark a party preference on a consolidated ballot if voting outside of a particular party would disqualify the ballot anyway.

Doesn't Los Angeles County use the GEMS system to count their home-brew ballots?

Would they have up to 3 people in the PCO races?

[RedEagle]

13. OK, What's Up with Texas or am I Just Tired.....

Been at this too long. Looks to me that in (b), it's possible to cast a vote for a straight party ticket AND have a vote for an opponent, it would count too....


http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/EL/content/htm/el.005.00.000052.00.htm#52.001.00

§ 52.071. VOTING SQUARE AND INSTRUCTION FOR
STRAIGHT-PARTY VOTE. (a) On a ballot on which a party column
appears, a square larger than the square prescribed by Section
52.070(a) shall be printed to the left of each political party's
name.
(b) The following instruction shall be added to the
instruction required by Section 52.070(b): "You may cast a
straight-party vote (that is, cast a vote for all the nominees of
one party) by placing an 'X' in the square beside the name of the
party of your choice. If you cast a straight-party vote for all the
nominees of one party and also cast a vote for an opponent of one of
that party's nominees, your vote for the opponent will be counted as
well as your vote for all the other nominees of the party for which
the straight-party vote was cast."

[ParanoidPat]

11. Warning, this map is not up to date.....

.....but may be of some help. :)

[RedEagle]

15. I just need to find...

1. A state that uses optical scan and allows a consolidated ballot in the primary. That looks like Wisconsin. But what vendors system?

2. A state using Diebold optical scan (Accuvote) that either uses the consolidated ballot for primaries, or separate ballots. If separate ballots, then is there a BIG city with a lot of PCO's on the ballot?

3. Ditto for Sequoia optical scan, but I think Sequoia is ES&S with a different name.

Thanks!

[harmonyguy]

17. What's a PCO ??

Remember - I'm just a Canuck.
HG

[RedEagle]

18. Precinct Committee Officer

Sorry HG.

And I hope you "Canuck" keep electronic voting the heck out of Canada, eh?

[Festivito]

19. Detroit's Wayne county uses optical for years.

I vote in Detroit which resides inside the county of Wayne.

I have been able to vote Democratic with one easy swipe and then proceed to the non-partisan portion of the ballot: judges and proposals all on one paper ballot. Swiping, completing a half-inch space between two horizontal lines with a special black felt-tip pen, the Democratic party and then trying to include a Green Party member for some office causes one's ballot to reject with a beep while a cryptic message is typed out on a roll of paper, the voter is given the chance to get a new ballot to mark. Or, a special button can be pressed as the ballot enters the machine without a peep and the conflicting section(s) are not counted but the ballot is devoured by the machine counting the non-partisan sections in the case given. (Time constrained and intimidated voters all to often agree to have their ballot sent in with uncounted sections.)

The optical machines do not flag under-votes. (Another reason I want uniform personal printed paper voting.)

Last presidential primary was unusual, only Democrats that day and location and I voted by check-mark on a poorly copied sheet of paper that ended by asking my party affiliation and whether or not I "leaned Democratic." (The polling place was moved several times and ended being about ten miles away from my home forcing me to pass by about ten other polling places. No thank-yous to Butch Hollowell.)

Recently, I voted in the state primary optically. Of course no one could vote for a party -- silly since each office had many candidates from each party -- we had to choose one! Had I voted for a Republican for one office (so they'd be certain to lose in the general election... te-he-he) my ballot would have been rejected with the beep and the roll paper logging my errant attempt, and I'd have marked a new ballot. The ballot had proposals and judges for which I voted as well.

The ballot was specific to my precinct and district together.

The Republican state senate and house tried to legislate no party voting allowed on ballots here in Michigan. They had their rhetoric but we know it's because they know it stops watered down votes from occasional Green party voters and under-votes.

No, one does not have to mark party affiliation.

In general elections one may vote Democratic for one office, then split and vote for a particular Republican for a different office. One only cannot do this AND vote straight party ticket. The machine will balk.

Absentee voters use the same ballot, but, if the machine notes a problem, it cannot be corrected of course.

The ballot is on heavy card-stock paper, legal size or larger. I never measured it. The ballots are numbered above a perforation about one-half inch across the top. The ballot is handed to the voter covered in a separate folder jacket that covers the voting areas front and back. After the ballot is marked I can cover my votes with the folded card-stock, the fold at the ballots bottom edge. The poll worker rips the perforated number from the ballot. Poll worker or I can hold my ballot in its folder jacket up to the machine which then quickly slides in the ballot from inside the jacket so no one can see my votes. The empty jacket is then reused for another voter. And now is when the machine will beep if an over-vote or cross vote is found, under-votes ignored.

I don't recall the name on the machines. They've been in service for many years now. I could call on my precinct captain and ask him, my old scoutmaster, fellow engineer, neighbor and friend unfortunately is recovering from a heart attack after his wife unexpectedly died. PM me if you really really need it.

Sorry to be so long winded.
-Fes