November 14, 2005

"Elections are a year-round process"

From Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin, via the Santa Cruz Sentinel:

"Like a highly skilled gymnast who trains for years to make breathtaking feats seem effortless during brief moments of public performance, local election officials labor year-round to prepare for and conduct elections that voters can rely on for accuracy, security and openness.

A peek behind the scenes reveals the magnitude of the task of conducting a statewide election. The numbers are staggering to prepare for what appears to be a one-day event, but in reality is a multi-month endeavor. For the Nov. 8 Special Statewide Election, more than 15 million sample-ballot booklets were proofed, printed and mailed to each registered voter weeks ago by the state's 58 county election officials. Millions of official ballots were similarly prepared for voters' decisions. More than 4.5 million absentee ballots were mailed to voters, including to Californians residing in the farthest reaches of the globe, from Baghdad to Zanzibar. Statewide, nearly 25,000 polling places were reserved and readied, and more than 100,000 poll workers underwent training to serve voters on Election Day. Election officials continually train, test and plan for every contingency to deliver a seamless — and seemingly effortless — operation.

Accuracy and ballot security are of paramount importance. Gone are the days of dimpled and pregnant chads, as election officials convert to more modern methods of casting and tabulating votes. All voting systems in use in California have been extensively tested and certified for accuracy by the secretary of state. New electronic voting systems used in California must also obtain federal qualification before undergoing state certification. County election officials undertake additional tests to confirm the accuracy of certified ballot tabulating software and voting machines to ensure every vote is counted correctly. Where electronic voting machines are in use, the equipment is never connected to the Internet and cannot be accessed online."

Posted by Randy Riddle at November 14, 2005 05:43 PM