www.govote-okaloosa.com

Data Normalization in

Electronic Voting

Systems:

A County Perspective

Paul Lux, CERA – Supervisor of Elections

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• Contest Identification Number• Candidate/Choice Identification Number• Party Affiliation Codes• Counters

• Each Candidate/Choice• Overvote / Undervote / Blank Vote

• Ballot Headers• Common to all Ballots• Specific to Certain Ballots• Contests• Footers

Data Elements in Tabulation Systems

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Data Variations

• Jurisdiction-specific Functionality

• Straight-Ticket Voting

• Vendor – to – Vendor

• Field Sizes

• Field Codes

• Data Field Formats

• Numeric

• Alpha Character

• Free-form

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First Steps in Florida

• Standardization to Election Night Reporting

• ES&S Platform

• Premier Platform

• Sequoia Platform

• (Dominion also attended)

• Certified Vendors “Years away” from *.xml

• Dominion already using *.eml

• Old Way—67 Different File Translations

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The New Way

• Division of Elections Specified Contest Codes

• Allow for Uniform Representation

• Contests

• Party Affiliations

• District Numbers

• 4 digit code (wanted 6)

• Preserve Statutory Contest Order

• Trial by Self-selecting Counties in PPP

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Sample Code List (Primary)

Okaloosa County Contest Codes for 08/26/2008 (Extract)

Election Office Juris 1 Juris 2Contest

CodeContest Description

Republican USR 001 1211 Representative in Congress, District 1 – REP

Republican USR 002 1221 Representative in Congress, District 2 – REP

Democrat USR 001 1212 Representative in Congress, District 1 – DEM

Democrat USR 002 1222 Representative in Congress, District 2 – DEM

Republican STR 004 2021 State Representative, District 4 – REP

Republican STR 007 2041 State Representative, District 7 – REP

Democrat STR 004 2022 State Representative, District 4 – DEM

Democrat STR 007 2042 State Representative, District 7 – DEM

Republican BCC 001 3611 County Commissioner, District 1 – REP

Republican BCC 003 3631 County Commissioner, District 3 – REP

Democrat BCC 001 3612 County Commissioner, District 1 – DEM

Democrat BCC 003 3632 County Commissioner, District 3 – DEM

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Sample Code List (General)

Okaloosa County Contest Codes for 11/04/2008 (Extract)

Election Office Juris 1 Juris 2Contest

CodeContest Description

General PRE 1100 President and Vice President of the United States

General USR 001 1210 Representative in Congress, District 1

General USR 002 1220 Representative in Congress, District 2

General STA 001 1510 State Attorney, 1st Judicial Circuit

General STR 004 2020 State Representative, District 4

General STR 007 2040 State Representative, District 7

General COC 3100 Clerk of Circuit Court

General BCC 001 3610 County Commissioner, District 1

NonPartisan DCA 001 5211 First District Court of Appeal – Robert T. Benton

NonPartisan SCB 002 6402 School Board, District 2

NonPartisan FD 001 7211 Almarante Fire District, Seat 1

NonPartisan AMD 9001 Amendment 1 – Declaration of Rights

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Implementation

• Presidential Preference Primary Test Successful

• Published Contest Codes

• August Primary Election

• November General Election

• Streamlined Statewide Election Night Reporting

• Counties Upload Usual Results Export

• Easy to Merge Cross-jurisdiction Results

• New Codes for 2010 Elections

• 6-digit

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Sample Code List (6-Digit)

Okaloosa County Contest Codes for 2010 (Extract)

Office Juris 1 Juris 2Contest

CodeContest Description

USS 11500P United States Senator

USR 001 12001P Representative in Congress, District 1

USR 002 12002P Representative in Congress, District 2

GOV 13000P Governor

STS 002 17002P State Senator, District 2

STR 004 20004P State Representative, District 4

SHF 31500P Sheriff

BCC 002 36002P County Commissioner, District 2

CTJ 001 002 550102 Circuit Judge, 1st Judicial Circuit, Group 2

SCB 001 640001 School Board, District 1

AMD 900100 Amendment 1 (Statewide)

REF 930001 Referendum 1 (Local Jurisdiction)

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Problems with Data Normalization

• Other Voting Systems• Data Access• File Security• Safeguarding Audits

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Other Voting Systems

• Hand-counted Paper Ballots• No Electronic Record to Import/Upload

• Non-Traditional Voting Systems• Vote by Phone• Voting Over the Internet• How is Data Imported?

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Data Access

• Who Should Have Access to This Data?• Jurisdiction-Level• Central Reporting Authority• Other Consumers?

• Media?• Political Parties?• Individual Candidates?

• Who Has “Official” Totals?• Third-party Error Check• Accusations of Data Tampering

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File Security

• Who Has “True” Copy of File?• Safeguards

• Digitally Signed• Encryption• Hashing

• Some Form of Authentication Necessary

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Audits

• New Level of Transparency• Post Scans of Ballots Online• Post Results Files Online• Public Auditing by Interested Parties

• Safeguards• Avoid Prejudicing Official Audit• Timed Release of Statement of Votes Cast

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Conclusion

• Tremendous Benefit to Normalizing Data Files• States• Media• Public

• Issues• Proprietary Software• File Security• Use of File Data

• Potential Benefits Too Great to not Pursue

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Questions?

Paul Lux

Supervisor of Elections

Okaloosa County, Florida

302 Wilson St. N., Suite 102

Crestview, FL 32536

850.689.5600

plux@co.okaloosa.fl.us