Electronic Poll BookStatutory Overview and VSTOP

December 18, 2013

Brad KingCo-Director, Indiana Election Division

2014 Election Administrators Conference

Overview of Terminology“Electronic Poll Book”:

What is it?

• “Electronic poll book” refers to equipment (the combination of mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic equipment (including the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment) that is used to access and maintain the electronic poll list.

• “Electronic poll list” refers to data (the voter information that is maintained in a computer database).

Where did they come from?

Larimer County, Colorado (the original vote center county used as model for Indiana pilot vote center program)

Indiana vote center county pilots (have used since pilot program began in 2007)

In early 2013, Indiana counties had 6 different electronic poll book models used in 9 vote center counties.

Legislative Option for all 92 Counties

• New state law in 2013: Any county election board may adopt order to provide electronic poll book, instead of paper poll lists (IC 3-7-29-6)

• CEB order:– Requires signature for voter to sign-in– Not required to be adopted by unanimous vote– Not required to be vote center county

Epoll book standards

• Why have them? • Maryland and Denver experienced epoll book

related problems in 2006 elections (capacity of system not fully tested)

• Build and preserve confidence of election administrators, poll workers, and voters in new part of election system.

2013 Standards & Certification

• Indiana legislation enacted in 2013. • First in US to:– Establish e-poll book standards by law– Establish state certification system following

testing and provide for regular renewal

2013 Standards & Certification

• Developed with input from:– counties (discussed at SOS vote center meetings

across Indiana)– Electronic poll book vendors– Ball State Voting System Technical Oversight

Program (VSTOP)– Nationally accredited testing laboratories and

other state voting system certification officials

State-of-the-art Standards

22 requirements set forth in IC 3-11-8-10.3:

Bipartisan action of 2 poll workers required to access electronic poll book

Poll book may not be connected to voting system

Poll book only allows access to SVRS info needed to administer election.

Information must be encrypted, placed on dedicated private server.

State-of-the-art Standards II E-poll book standards (continued):

Must produce audit records of transactions Poll worker must be able to indicate voter provided

with ballot, if voter cast absentee ballot, or provided additional residence documentation

E-poll book must transmit information to county so that county can “transmit the information immediately to every other polling place or satellite absentee office”

Generate watcher reports throughout election day.Permit vote history to be uploaded into SVRS each day

after absentee ballots cast (and after election day).

State-of-the-art Standards III E-poll book standards (continued):

Display electronic image of voter’s signature from voter registration application

Used with signature pad, tablet, or other device to permit voter to make electronic signature, which is then retained in SVRS

Have bar code reader to pull up voter records using Indiana driver’s license or ID card

Easily understandable training materials.Permit voter to sign in despite temporary

interruption of Internet connectivity

Application for Certification

Before vendor can market, sell, lease or provide e-poll book for use in Indiana election, must file application to have poll book certified

No fee for applicationApplication filed with Election Division, and

then referred by Secretary of State to VSTOP (IC 3-11-18.1-12)

VSTOP Testing and Report

Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP), administered by Ball State University

Secretary of State refers application to VSTOP for examination and report

October 2013: Secretary of State adopted Testing Protocols for e-poll books (after detailed feedback from interested parties)

Testing Process: Three Phases

Functional Certification: VSTOP reviews detailed documentation from vendor, ensures application is complete

• National Laboratory Testing: Nationally accredited laboratory tests epoll book using Indiana protocols. Problems fixed if necessary.

• Communication Certification: VSTOP determines if epoll book can accurately send information to and from SVRS

Report to SOS and Certification

VSTOP makes recommendation whether SOS should approve application for e-poll book.

If so, any restrictions on approvalSecretary of State issues certification to permit

use of epoll books in Indiana elections.Certification good until December 31 of year

after issuance (December 31, 2014, if today)

Where is vendor in process?

New web page for electronic poll book information: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/4059.htm

Includes spreadsheet with current status of each application, updated about twice a week.

Voting System Technical Oversight Program

• Dr. Jay Bagga, Professor of Computer Science

• Dr. Joe Losco, Professor and Chair, Political Science Department

• Dr. Raymond Scheele, Professor of Political Science