Public Invited to Observe Critical Process
January 25, 2017

Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) Logic and Accuracy testing (“L & A”) of the eSlate voting system equipment will occur on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. for the March 7, 2017 Menlo Park City Elementary School District Special Election, according to Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. L & A will be conducted at the Registration & Elections Division at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo. Members of the public are encouraged to observe this process. 

"L & A is an essential measure that ensures all voting equipment used in the upcoming election functions properly,” explained Mark Church. The San Mateo County Registration and Elections Division manually tests the voting system’s vote counting software through sample ballot-casting exercises to verify if votes are correctly tabulated and recorded. 

Prior to every election, L & A is performed in two phases on the voting system’s vote counting software. 

The first phase of L & A focuses on the electronic votes cast on the eSlate voting machines. Elections staff uses “test” versions of the English, Spanish and Chinese ballots for the March 7, 2017 election. This phase is passed only when there is a perfect match between the test votes cast and the predetermined test results. 

The second phase of L & A focuses on paper ballot voting. The English, Spanish and Chinese paper ballots used for testing are clearly identified as “test” ballots. The votes marked on the paper ballots are recorded by running the ballots through a digital scanner-tabulator. This scanner works in connection with the vote counting system called Ballot Now. Ballot Now accepts voting marks within the predetermined space on the ballot and records them. This phase is completed only when there is a perfect match between the test votes cast and the predetermined test results. 

Additionally, every voting machine will undergo functional testing. Functional testing ensures the proper operation of every dial, button, connector and other hardware components of the voting machines. This testing process confirms that the voting machines are loaded with the correct system software and firmware, as certified by the Secretary of State. 

Upon completion of L & A and functional testing, eSlate voting machines will be deployed to the Voting Center located at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, open weekdays 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. from February 6 through March 6, and open 7 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Election Day, March 7, 2017. 

For more information about the March 7, 2017 Special Election, call the Registration & Elections Division at 650.312.5222 or visit www.shapethefurture.org.


The press release is displayed in its original format. San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections website now resides at www.smcacre.org

Related Contacts

Mark Church

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer
555 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063-1665Get Directions
Phone:
650.363.4988

Jim Irizarry

Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Asst. Chief Elections Officer
555 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063-1665Get Directions
Phone:
650.363.4988