Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/332381344/Penn
Timestamp: 2017-02-25 06:04:23
Document Index: 233133241

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3031', '§ 3031', '§ 3031', '§\n3031', '§ 3031', 'art 1', '§ 3031', '§ 4', '§ 3031', '§ 3031', '§\n2963', '§ 3031', '§ 3050', '§\n3031', '§ 15481', '§\n3031', '§\n3031', '§ 3070', '§ 1974', '§ 3070', '§\n3154', '§ 3157']

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OF ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS BY THE COUNTY
DIRECTIVE CONCERNING THE USE, IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION
OF ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS BY THE COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS1
The use, implementation and operation of electronic voting systems by county boards of elections are
governed by the following procedures. Electronic voting systems are defined at Section 1101-A of the
Pennsylvania Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.1.
Activities prior to opening the polls on Election Day
1. Notice of voting system preparation. As part of its compliance with Section 1110-A(d) of the
Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.10(d), on or before the fortieth (40th) day preceding any primary or
election, a county board of elections shall mail a notice stating the times and places where preparation
of the voting system will be started. This letter shall be sent to the chairmen of the county committee
of each political party that is entitled to participate in primary elections in the county, as well as to the
presiding officer of any organization of citizens in the county whose purpose is to investigate or
prosecute election frauds and which organization has registered with the county board of elections at
least fifty (50) days before the primary or election.
2. Instructions on use of electronic voting systems. As part of its compliance with Section 1111-A of
the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.11, a county board of elections shall instruct voters on the use of
electronic voting systems in the following way.
Public exhibition thirty (30) days before each primary or election. During the thirty (30) days
before an election, the county board of elections shall place on public exhibition the
components of an electronic voting system that are used by the voter, containing a sample
ballot for instructional use. “Such components shall be under the charge and care of a person
competent as custodian and instructor. No voting system component which is assigned for use
in an election shall be used for such public exhibition and instruction after having been
prepared and sealed for the election.” Section 1111-A(a) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. §
3031.11(a).
3. Testing central automatic tabulating equipment. As part of its compliance with the requirements of
Section 1114-A(a) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.14(a), a county that uses an electronic voting
system that provides for central tabulation of ballots shall, by the fourth (4th) day prior to each
election, have the central automatic tabulating equipment publicly tested to ascertain that it will
accurately count the votes cast for all offices and all questions. Public notice of this test shall be given
at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the test, unless the central automatic tabulating equipment was
tested during the voting system preparation provided for in part 1. In either event the testing must be
done publicly, and public notice must be given at least forty-eight hours prior to the test.
This directive and instruction is issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth pursuant to section 1105-A(a) of
the Pennsylvania Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.5(a).
4. Secrecy in voting. To assure compliance with the constitutional and statutory requirements that
secrecy in voting be preserved (see Pa. Const. Art. VII, § 4; and 25 P.S. § 3031.7(1)), boards of
elections should use privacy screens or hoods or take other physical measures that prevent other
individuals in the polling place from seeing how an elector has cast his or her ballot on the machine.
Electronic voting machines shall be positioned in the polling place in such a manner that other
individuals may not watch an elector casting his or her ballot.
Activities while the polls are open on Election Day
Instructions on use of electronic voting systems. As authorized by Section 1111-A(b) of the Election
Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.11(b), elections officials can use diagrams to show a voter how to use an
electronic voting system before the voter enters the voting booth and give the voter audible
instructions while the voter is in the voting booth whenever the voter asks for such help. When
providing this help, elections officials shall not enter the voting booth with the voter or while the voter
occupies the voting booth, and shall not request, suggest or try to persuade or induce the voter in any
manner to vote for any particular candidate, ticket of candidates, or other persons, or in favor of or
against a ballot question.
6. Voter leaving voting system without completely casting ballot. A county board of elections that uses
a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting system should implement the following procedures to
prevent a voter from leaving the voting system without completing the process of casting his or her
ballot (sometimes referred to as “the fleeing voter”).
The county board of elections shall direct each local election board to post in a conspicuous
place within the polling place informational posters containing information that alerts a voter
to verify before leaving the voting compartment that his or her ballot has been properly cast on
the electronic voting system.
At each election, the county board of elections shall make copies of the last screen that the
voter will see after casting his or her ballot. The county board of elections or the local election
board, as the case may be, shall post a copy of that screen in each voting booth. The county
board of elections shall instruct the members of each local election board to point out to each
voter the copy of the last screen and tell the voter that his or her vote will not be recorded until
the voter sees that the last screen on the voting system is the same as that on the copy.
If possible, notify the voter before he or she leaves the polling place to return to the voting
booth to complete the voting process.
If these procedures are not successful and the voter leaves the polling place without completing
the process for casting the ballot, then two district election officials of different political parties
shall jointly cancel that elector’s vote. The district election officials shall keep a record of the
number of canceled votes so that they can compare that record to the numbered list of voters.
7. Inoperable electronic voting systems - repairs, substitutes and emergency back-up paper ballots. If
50% of electronic voting machines in a precinct are inoperable, “paper ballots, either printed or
written and of any suitable form,” for registering votes (described herein as “emergency back-up paper
ballots”) shall be distributed immediately to eligible voters pursuant to section 1120-A(b) of the
Election Code. Emergency back-up paper ballots shall be used thereafter until the county board of
elections is able to make the necessary repairs to the machine(s) or is able to place into operation a
suitable substitute machine(s).
For this purpose, county boards of elections may use, as “emergency back-up paper ballots,” ballots
specifically designed for use as emergency back-up paper ballots; surplus, un-voted absentee ballots;
surplus, un-voted alternative ballots; ballots that the county board of elections has supplied to the
district election board for use as provisional ballots; or other paper ballots that are “either printed or
written and of any suitable form.”
Except as noted below, the procedures applicable to the casting of absentee ballots,
alternative ballots or provisional ballots (declaration and affidavit requirements) do not
apply to an emergency back-up paper ballot that is cast under section 1120-A(b) of the
When ballots originally intended for use as absentee ballots, alternative ballots or provisional
ballots are used as emergency back-up paper ballots under section 1120-A(b) of the Election
Code, the ballot is cast as a regular ballot, and not as an absentee ballot, alternative ballot or
provisional ballot. Provisional ballots which are used as emergency back-up paper ballots
must be clearly distinguished from provisional ballots and may not be rejected if the
envelope in which the ballot is placed is missing any information that would be required
of a provisional ballot.
A county board of elections must supply an adequate amount of emergency back-up paper
ballots to ensure that voting continues uninterrupted until the voting systems become operable.
As a regular ballot, the emergency back-up ballot shall be deposited by the voter in a ballot box or
other secure receptacle designated by the board of elections for the deposit of completed emergency
back-up paper ballots, as required for paper ballots by Section 1003(a) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. §
2963(a). Absentee ballots, alternative ballots or provisional ballots that are being used as emergency
back-up paper ballots must be identified as regular ballots and must be segregated from absentee
ballots, alternative ballots and provisional ballots.
EXCEPTION NOTE: Persons permitted or required to vote by provisional ballot must follow
the procedures applicable to casting of provisional ballots, whether electronic voting systems or
paper ballots are used to conduct an election. When ballots labeled as provisional ballots are
employed under section 1120-A(b) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3031.20(b) as emergency back-up
paper ballots for the casting of regular ballots in place of inoperable machines, the local board of
elections must continue to require individuals to cast provisional ballots when those individuals are
required by law to vote in that manner, subject to all of the procedures prescribed for casting a
provisional ballot at section 1210(a.4) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3050(a.4).
8. Accessible Electronic Voting Systems. County boards of elections must direct the district election
boards to prepare, in the manner provided by section 1110-A(g) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. §
3031.10(g), an electronic voting system for voting in a precinct where such system is necessary to
provide to a disabled voter the same opportunity for access and participation in the voting process as is
afforded voters who do not have a disability. See section 301(a)(3) of the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA), 42 U.S.C. § 15481(a)(3). Audio components for the visually impaired must be in working
order and must present instructions and information in a user-friendly and understandable format. (All
district election boards must comply with this requirement regardless of whether the district
board anticipates that a disabled voter will present himself or herself to vote on the day of the
primary or election.)
Activities after closing the polls on Election Day
9. Counting and recording absentee ballots. In order to assure compliance with all provisions of the
Election Code, especially sections 1113-A, 1115-A, 1226 and 1308 of the Election Code, 25 P.S. §§
3031.13, 3031.15, 3066 & 3146.8, county boards of elections shall not, at any time, manually enter
absentee ballots into an electronic voting system, including the time after the voting system has been
locked against voting at the closing of the polls.
THE COUNTING AND RECORDING OF VOTES CAST ON ABSENTEE BALLOTS MUST BE
COUNTED AND RECORDED SEPARATELY FROM BUT IN A LIKE OR SIMILAR MANNER
AS THE VOTES CAST ON ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS.
10. Computation and canvass of returns – random sampling. As part of the computation and canvass of
returns, in order to comply with the requirement at Section 1117-A of the Election Code, 25 P.S. §
3031.17, the county board of elections must conduct a statistical recount of a random sample of at
least two percent (2%) of the ballots cast or two thousand (2,000) ballots, whichever number is fewer.
For those counties using optical scan electronic voting systems, the county board of elections
shall conduct the statistical recount manually.
For those counties using direct recording electronic (DRE) voting systems, the county board of
elections shall conduct the statistical recount manually using the ballot images contained in the
system, rather than the “totals tapes.”
11. Sealing voting system terminals for recounts and election contests. A county board of elections
shall keep voting terminals sealed or otherwise locked against voting for at least twenty (20) days, or
longer if there are recounts or election contests pending, unless a court should order the terminals to be
opened. See Section 1230 of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3070.
12. Reuse of memory cards and retention of ballot images. A county board of elections may reuse
memory cards for the next election if the county maintains either a printed or electronic copy of the
ballot images contained in the system. For Federal elections, a county board of elections must retain
these ballot images for 22 months from the date of the election. 42 U.S.C. § 1974. For municipal
elections, the county board of elections must retain the ballot images for a least 20 days, unless
ordered otherwise by a court as provided at Section 1230 of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 3070.
CONDUCTING THE RECOUNT AND RECANVASS
In a county in which an election district uses an electronic voting system that does not
utilize paper ballots, the county board must conduct the recanvass similar to the procedure
used to recanvass the vote cast on voting machines:
The county board must make a record of the number of the seal upon the voting machine
and the number on the protective counter or other device.
The county board must make visible the registering counters of the machine, and without
unlocking the machine against voting, recanvass the vote cast on the machine.
The county board shall conduct the recanvass by examining the totals tape on each
machine, which shall constitute the recount total.
If, upon such recanvass, it appears that the original canvass of the returns has been
correctly made from the electronic voting system (system), and that the discrepancy, if
applicable, still remains unaccounted for, the county board of elections must unlock the
voting and counting mechanism of the system and examine and test the system to
determine the cause of the discrepancy. In this case, the counter must be reset at zero
before it is tested, after which it must be operated at least 100 times. After the examination
and test has been completed, the machine inspector must prepare a written statement
detailing the result of the examination and test. The written statement must be witnessed
by the persons present and filed with the county board of elections.
If, upon such recanvass, it appears that the original canvass of the returns was incorrect, the
returns and all papers being prepared by the board of elections shall be corrected
accordingly: Provided, however, that in the case of returns from an election district
wherein the election was held by the use of a voting system equipped with a mechanism for
printing paper proof sheets, the proof sheets, if mutually consistent, shall be deemed to be
the primary evidence of the result of the election.
2. Due to the requirement to use a different type of manual, mechanical or electronic device in a recount
than was used in the specific election, as required by section 1404(e)(3)(i) of the Election Code, 25 P.S. §
3154(e)(3)(i), in counties in which an election district uses an electronic voting system utilizing paper
ballots (that is, optical scan):
The county board of elections must recount all ballots using manual, mechanical or
electronic devices of a different type than that used for the specific election.
- Counties using a central-count tabulator shall conduct the recanvass using a
precinct-count tabulator or conduct the recanvass by a hand count of the paper
- Counties using a precinct-count tabulator shall conduct the recanvass by using a
central-count tabulator or conduct the recanvass by a hand count of the paper
All ballots containing overvotes must be counted manually.
3. Under section 1407(a) of the Election Code (25 P.S. § 3157(a)), appeals of determinations made
by a county board of elections following an order for a recount by the Secretary of the
Commonwealth relate to the offices or ballot questions that are the subject of the statewide recount
must be taken to the Commonwealth Court – even after the recount and recanvass ordered by the
Secretary has been completed.
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