White Papers

Executive Summary

This whitepaper describes the requirements¹ for operating a vote center under The California Voter’s Choice Act (The Act). The Act is a California election law requiring election officials to mail a Vote by Mail (VBM) ballot to all voters at the election. Election officials are required to replace polling places with a certain minimum number of ballot Drop Off Locations (DOL) and Vote Centers (VCs). The Act potentially affects 14 pilot counties who may opt-in and use the provisions of SB 450 starting in 2018. All counties except for Los Angeles must use the provisions of The Act beginning in 2020. Los Angeles County can phase in the use of DOLs and VCs, but may not mail a ballot to all voters until the elections after 2020.

The voters have the choice to vote and return their ballot by mail, drop off their voted ballot at any ballot DOL within the state starting 28 days prior to Election Day (E-28), or vote in person at any VC within the county starting at up to E-10. VCs are open on Election Day, and every day during the period of time between E-10 and Election Day.

Each VC must be able to perform certain voter related services including Conditional Voter Registration (CVR), the drop off voted VBM ballots, issuing replacement VBM ballots, accepting surrendered VBM ballots, issuing provisional ballots, or voting a ballot in-person.

Best Practices

1. The check-in workstation shall support “two factor authentication” Best Practice!

2. The system shall feature a device activator (e.g., USB key, smart card), so that the system will not run without the presence on an activator device Best Practice!

6. The system shall feature data encryption for the voter data at rest on the device Best Practice!

7. The system shall feature automated updates to the software for security and usability features which are delivered via an encrypted package of program updates to be installed and verified during system startup Best Practice!

10. The system shall provide direct voter record access, bypassing the find voter grid, by the scanning of a PDF417 barcode on the driver’s license Best Practice!

21. Using the information above, the system shall display specific dialogues that guide them through additional processing steps Best Practice!

25. Any assessment of voter eligibility not satisfying voting requirements shall be reported to poll worker with prompts to the poll worker identifying the allowed actions Best Practice!

30. The system shall validate each change of address against the street table, imported from the county voter registration database, to assign the correct precinct and validate the accuracy of the address Best Practice!

33. Once the voter’s record has been updated, even those updates to a precinct which could change the voter’s ballot style, the election worker can continue the standard check-in process consistent with the provisions of failsafe voting under California law Best Practice!

34. CVR voters must be added to the voter list at the polls Best Practice!

37. The scanning of the bar code shall pre-populate the respective data entry fields including the voter’s name, address, city, state, zip code, date of birth, and driver’s license number Best Practice!

43. Upon validation of all required information, the system shall add the CVR registration to the voter list, print the necessary forms for signature by voter, issue a provisional ballot, synchronize the information with other check-in systems and VC’s to prevent duplicate voting, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system Best Practice!

48. The system shall reactivate a voter’s record upon voting, synchronize the information with other check-in systems and VC’s to prevent duplicate voting, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system Best Practice!

49. The system shall be able to issue a provisional ballot to any voter who is otherwise not able to vote a standard ballot, including those voters who already voted a ballot (Note: CVR voting will eliminate many of the cases of provisional voting in California) Best Practice!

52. The system shall print a provisional ballot receipt ticket, to be provided to the voter, with a ballot identifier together with phone numbers and internet address hosted by VoteCal that can be accessed to determine the status of the provisional ballot Best Practice!

54. The system shall synchronize provisional voters to all other check-in workstations and VCs, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system Best Practice!

63. When signatures are required, the shall capture the voter’s signature and then save or print the resulting signature for further processing Best Practice!

65. In primary elections where voters may select a party designation, the system shall present valid party selection options to the voter and use the voter’s designation as part of the ballot assignment logic Best Practice!

71. The system shall be capable of sending a message of up to 400 characters, to the check-in stations at a single VC or at all VCs Best Practice!

86. The system shall be able to print a Site Grand Totals Ticket including the total number of check-ins performed by check-in workstations at the VC Best Practice!

90. The system shall be able to print an Early Voting Votes by Location Report to lists voters who checked-in at each VC Best Practice!

95. The system shall include a dashboard that offers election officials a high-level overview of election activity happening at the VCs, including the percentage and number of VCs that are ready for voters (or not), and the exact number of check-ins and estimated wait times across the election jurisdiction Best Practice!

99. The check-in workstation shall include a built-in scanner, keyboard, and, signature capture screen Best Practice!

102. The check-in workstations shall include a variety of methods, wired and wireless including Mi-Fi devices, to gain access to internet services for synchronization with all other check-in workstations and the county voter registration database Best Practice!

103. The check-in workstation shall be capable of operating in a stand-alone mode with a full copy of the county voter registration database, when communications or the server are down Best Practice!

105. The hardware shall have an expected life-span of 10 years Best Practice!

120. The data at rest on the system storage shall be encrypted Best Practice!

122. The decryption key shall be distributed on the system activator Best Practice!

123. The data in transit over the network shall be encrypted Best Practice!

130. The system shall have a demonstrable check-in rate of at least 60 voters per hour for voters not requiring special handling Best Practice!

131. Each check-in workstation shall have the entire county voter database stored locally so that voter check-in is continuous even if the LAN, WAN, or central server is down or unreachable Best Practice!

132. Each check-in workstation shall have redundant storage, with one copy of the check-in data on removable media Best Practice!

133. The system shall support a procedure to remove the media from one unit, and insert the media into a replacement unit, so that the replacement unit can commence operations from the point of time when the replaced unit failed Best Practice!

137. The system shall provide remote technical support utilities including the ability for authorized personnel to remotely control certain functions such as changing the time zone, clock, VC location, or ballot printer settings Best Practice!

Services You Must Make Available at Vote Centers (Under SB 450, The California Voter’s Choice Act)

• CVR and Provisional Voting
• Drop off the voted VBM ballot
• Get a replacement VBM ballot
• Surrender VBM ballots
• Vote in-person

Each VC shall allow voters to conditionally register and vote a provisional ballot. Voters who are reregistering to vote within the same county may vote provisionally under the provisions of Election Code Section 14311. The VC requirements related to CVR include:

1. The VC shall have real-time access to the voter registration database using computer check-in capabilities to look-up the current status of the voter, and record the issuance of a provisional ballot under either the provisions of CVR or Election Code Section 14311
2. The VC shall have an adequate supply of blank voter registration forms and provisional ballot envelopes
3. The VC may have a computer workstation or kiosk style computer linked to the California On-Line Voter Registration web page for those voters qualified to register to vote online in-lieu-of registering on the paper form
4. The check-in workstation shall be capable of adding the CVR voter’s name and residence address to the voter rolls
5. The check-in workstation shall be capable of automatically assigning the voter’s precinct based upon the residence address so that the correct ballot style may be issued
6. The check-in workstation shall be capable of capturing and printing the signature of the voter associated with the provisional ballot being issued
7. The check-in workstation shall be capable of printing the voter’s name, address, and other details relevant to the issuance of a provisional ballot
8. The VC shall have an adequate supply of provisional ballots
9. In-lieu-of an adequate supply of pre-printed provisional ballots, the VC may utilize a ballot on demand printer to print the correct style of provisional ballot
10. In-lieu-of an adequate supply of pre-printed provisional ballots, the VC may have an adequate supply of approved Direct Record Electronic (DRE) voting terminals for the casting of a provisional ballot
11. Each of the check-in workstation capabilities above shall be performed even if the network or server is unusable, meaning that all data is stored locally on the check-in computer and forwarded when the network or server services are restored

Each VC shall allow voters to drop off their voted VBM ballot. The VC requirements related to the drop off of voted VBM ballots include:

1. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to look up the current status of the voter’s VBM ballot, and if appropriate, record the VBM drop-off
2. The check-in workstation shall have a real-time link to the check-in workstations at the vote center, other vote centers, and the voter registration database to update the voter record reflecting that the voter dropped off his/her VBM ballot
3. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to perform the operations above even if the network or server is unusable, meaning that all data is stored locally on the check-in computer and forwarded when the network or server services are restored
4. The VC shall have a locked ballot box for deposit of the voted VBM ballot

Each VC shall have the capability to issue a replacement VBM ballot to eligible voters. The VC requirements related to the replacement VBM Ballot include:

1. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to look-up the current status of the voter’s VBM ballot, and if appropriate, record the issue of a replacement VBM ballot
2. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to print the voter’s name, address, and other details relevant to the replacement VBM ballot
3. The VC shall have an adequate supply of blank ballots and VBM ballot return envelopes
4. In-lieu-of stocking preprinted ballots, the VC may use a ballot on demand printer, called by the check-in workstation to print the correct style of replacement VBM ballot
5. The VC shall have a real-time connection to the voter registration database to update the voter record reflecting that the voter received a replacement VBM ballot
6. Each of the check-in workstation capabilities above must be performed even if the network or server is unusable, meaning that all data is stored locally on the check-in computer and forwarded when the network or server services are restored

Each VC shall have the capability to allow voters to surrender their unvoted VBM ballot². The VC requirements related to the surrender of the voter’s VBM ballot include:

1. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to look-up the current status of the voter’s VBM ballot, and if appropriate, record the surrender of the voter’s VBM ballot
2. The VC shall have a real-time connection to the voter registration database to update the voter record reflecting that the voter surrendered his/her VBM ballot
3. Each of the check-in workstation capabilities above must be performed even if the network or server is unusable, meaning that all data is stored locally on the check-in computer and forwarded when the network or server services are restored

Each VC shall have the capability to allow voters to vote in person, including those voters who surrender 3 their VBM ballot.

1. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to look-up the current voting status of the voter
2. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to record the issue of a ballot for voting in person, and record the cancellation of the previously issued VBM ballot
3. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to capture the signature of the voter associated with the check-in
4. The check-in workstation shall have the capabilities to print the voter’s name, address, and other details relevant to the issuance of a ballot
5. The VC shall have an adequate supply of ballots
6. In-lieu-of an adequate supply of pre-printed ballots, the VC may utilize a ballot on demand printer to print the correct style of ballot
7. In-lieu-of an adequate supply of pre-printed ballots, the VC may have an adequate supply of approved Direct Record Electronic (DRE) voting terminals for the casting of a ballot
8. The VC shall have a real-time connection to the voter registration database to update the voter record reflecting that the voter voted a ballot in person
9. Each of the check-in workstation capabilities above must be performed even if the network or server is unusable, meaning that all data is stored locally on the check-in computer and forwarded when the network or server services are restored

100+ Compelling Requirements for Automating each Vote Center

1. The check-in workstation shall support “two factor authentication” { XE “The check-in workstation shall support “two factor authentication” } Best Practice!
2. The system shall feature a device activator (e.g., USB key, smart card), so that the system will not run without the presence on an activator device { XE “The system shall feature a device activator (e.g., USB key, smart card), so that the system will not run without the presence on an activator device” } Best Practice!
3. The system shall feature pre-assigned user logins and passwords which are required to be entered and matched at start-up
4. The system shall have an optional rule requiring the login of more than one user prior to activation and use of the check-in workstation, preventing a single person from activating and using the device without the presence of a second authorized user
5. The system shall have a rule requiring the presence of more than one party affiliation user prior to activation
6. The system shall feature data encryption for the voter data at rest on the device { XE “The system shall feature data encryption for the voter data at rest on the device” } Best Practice!
7. The system shall feature automated updates to the software for security and usability features which are delivered via an encrypted package of program updates to be installed and verified during system startup { XE “The system shall feature automated updates to the software for security and usability features which are delivered via an encrypted package of program updates to be installed and verified during system startup” } Best Practice!
8. The system shall feature an administrator login which grants restricted functions such as system settings
9. The system shall allow for the password protection of certain administrative functions including changes to the voter’s name, address, absentee status, and the correction of a voter’s check-in status

10. The system shall provide direct voter record access, bypassing the find voter grid, by the scanning of a PDF417 barcode on the driver’s license { XE “The system shall provide direct voter record access, bypassing the find voter grid, by the scanning of a PDF417 barcode on the driver’s license” } Best Practice!
11. The system shall provide manual voter searches by voter name, ID number, date of birth, and any combination/portion of the same identifiers
12. The system shall support name searches with entry of only partial last and first names
13. The system shall provide direct voter record access, bypassing the find voter grid, whenever a search yields one and only one exact match
14. The system shall display a list of matching voter records whenever a voter search yields two or more matching voters, providing voter name, address, assigned precinct, voter status, voter birth date or age and ordered by voter last name presented so that a poll worker may quickly identify the desired voter
15. The system grid of matching voter records shall be color coded based on the voter’s status
16. The system shall allow users to perform voter searches by address using a house number and street name, or street name without the house number
17. In instances where a voter does not appear in the database, the system shall permit operator entry of all voter information (name, address, birth date, etc.) and issue a provisional ballot (detailed requirements for CVR follow)

18. When the desired voter is located, the system shall present the check-in staff with a Voter Information dialogue detailing specific voter information
19. The system shall display the voter’s name, registration status, VBM ballot status, address, gender, age/birth date, and assigned polling location within the detailed voter record
20. The system shall display the voter ID requirement whenever the voter is required by The Help American Vote Act (HAVA) to provide an ID prior to voting for the first time
21. Using the information above, the system shall display specific dialogues that guide them through additional processing steps { XE “Using the information above, the system shall display specific dialogues that guide them through additional processing steps” } Best Practice!
22. The system dialogues shall be created for efficiency and to guide the check-in staff through a consistent check-in process
23. The system shall verify the voter’s age to satisfy the age eligibility requirement for issuing a ballot
24. The system shall support all voter eligibility assessments necessary to approve and issue a voting pass
25. Any assessment of voter eligibility not satisfying voting requirements shall be reported to poll worker with prompts to the poll worker identifying the allowed actions { XE “Any assessment of voter eligibility not satisfying voting requirements shall be reported to poll worker with prompts to the poll worker identifying the allowed actions” } Best Practice!

26. The system shall capture the signature as the voter checks-in
27. The system shall display the electronic signature associated with the voter’s registration record to support comparison against an electronically captured signature
28. The system shall allow poll workers the options to approve signatures, override the signature comparison when a voter is unable to sign or when an electronic signature is not available from the voter registration system, reject the signature if it does not compare, or cancel the comparison process

29. The system shall allow updates to voter information at the voting site, including updates to the voter’s name, status, gender, date of birth, and address
30. The system shall validate each change of address against the street table, imported from the county voter registration database, to assign the correct precinct and validate the accuracy of the address { XE “The system shall validate each change of address against the street table, imported from the county voter registration database, to assign the correct precinct and validate the accuracy of the address” } Best Practice!
31. The system shall enforce data validation of key elements, and if an operator enters an incorrect value, alerts shall be generated instructing the operator of the incorrect value
32. The system shall automate data entry through use of choice lists or button selections wherever possible
33. Once the voter’s record has been updated, even those updates to a precinct which could change the voter’s ballot style, the election worker can continue the standard check-in process consistent with the provisions of failsafe voting under California law { XE “Once the voter’s record has been updated, even those updates to a precinct which could change the voter’s ballot style, the election worker can continue the standard check-in process consistent with the provisions of failsafe voting under California law” } Best Practice!

34. CVR voters must be added to the voter list at the polls { XE “CVR voters must be added to the voter list at the polls” } Best Practice!
35. The system shall display a dialogue designed specifically for the gathering, validation, and determination of a CVR registrant’s eligibility
36. The system shall allow the CVR registration process to begin with the scanning of the bar code imprinted on the back of the driver’s license or the voter identification card
37. The scanning of the bar code shall pre-populate the respective data entry fields including the voter’s name, address, city, state, zip code, date of birth, and driver’s license number { XE “The scanning of the bar code shall pre-populate the respective data entry fields including the voter’s name, address, city, state, zip code, date of birth, and driver’s license number” } Best Practice!
38. The system may allow election workers to manually enter some additional information including the only missing items necessary to complete the registration, such as the email address, former address, former county, former name, and telephone number
39. The system shall check against the existing voter data using personal identifiers from the driver’s license scan or manually entered data to determine if the voter is already registered
40. The system shall determine the eligibility of the voter based upon the voter’s age, using the date of birth and the date of the election to make this determination
41. The system shall determine the eligibility of the voter based upon the voter’s residency, using the voter’s address to look up the street address imported from the county voter registration database system
42. When the system determines the eligibility of the voter based upon the voter’s residency, the system shall automatically assign the correct precinct and ballot style information to the CVR registrant record
43. Upon validation of all required information, the system shall add the CVR registration to the voter list, print the necessary forms for signature by voter, issue a provisional ballot, synchronize the information with other check-in systems and VC’s to prevent duplicate voting, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system { XE “Upon validation of all required information, the system shall add the CVR registration to the voter list, print the necessary forms for signature by voter, issue a provisional ballot, synchronize the information with other check-in systems and VC’s to prevent duplicate voting, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system” } Best Practice!

44. The system shall support the inclusion of inactive voters as imported from the voter registration system
45. The system shall display inactive voters using color highlighting and the label “Inactive”
46. The system shall guide the check-in staff in implementing special processing rules such as address verification as part of the voter check-in workflow
47. Based on the voter’s address verification, the system shall issue a ballot based upon the current address as correct or an updated address as entered by the check-in staff using the Change Voter Information process listed above
48. The system shall reactivate a voter’s record upon voting, synchronize the information with other check-in systems and VC’s to prevent duplicate voting, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system { XE “The system shall reactivate a voter’s record upon voting, synchronize the information with other check-in systems and VC’s to prevent duplicate voting, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system” } Best Practice!

49. The system shall be able to issue a provisional ballot to any voter who is otherwise not able to vote a standard ballot, including those voters who already voted a ballot (Note: CVR voting will eliminate many of the cases of provisional voting in California) { XE “The system shall be able to issue a provisional ballot to any voter who is otherwise not able to vote a standard ballot, including those voters who already voted a ballot (Note: CVR voting will eliminate many of the cases of provisional voting in California)” } Best Practice!
50. The system shall issue the provisional ballot allowing the check-in staff to assign the ballot style based upon the residence address of the provisional voter
51. The system may print a provisional authorization to vote ticket
52. The system shall print a provisional ballot receipt ticket, to be provided to the voter, with a ballot identifier together with phone numbers and internet address hosted by VoteCal that can be accessed to determine the status of the provisional ballot { XE “The system shall print a provisional ballot receipt ticket, to be provided to the voter, with a ballot identifier together with phone numbers and internet address hosted by VoteCal that can be accessed to determine the status of the provisional ballot” } Best Practice!
53. The system shall record and track provisional voters in the same manner as a regular check-in, including the ballot style provided to the voter
54. The system shall synchronize provisional voters to all other check-in workstations and VCs, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system { XE “The system shall synchronize provisional voters to all other check-in workstations and VCs, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system” } Best Practice!

55. The system shall support various VBM ballot status codes as determined by the county election official, including Issued, Returned, Accepted, Rejected, and Surrendered { XE “The system shall support various VBM ballot status codes as determined by the county election official, including Issued, Returned, Accepted, Rejected, and Surrendered” } Best Practice!
56. The system shall allow the check-in staff to change the VBM ballot status
57. Any changes to the VBM ballot status shall be synchronized all other check-in workstations and VCs, and transmit the information to the county voter registration system

58. The system shall offer a flexible process for supporting voter challenge activity
59. The system shall require the check-in staff to select the reason for the challenge from a list of valid reasons as defined by the election official

60. The system shall include a function for “reversing” a voter check-in in the event that an error has been determined
61. This capability may be restricted by user sign-in credentials

62. The system shall incorporate the current written and verbal oath processes to further ensure a consistent, streamlined experience for voters with non-standard check-ins including the Oath of Continuous Residency for inactive voter
63. When signatures are required, the shall capture the voter’s signature and then save or print the resulting signature for further processing { XE “When signatures are required, the shall capture the voter’s signature and then save or print the resulting signature for further processing” } Best Practice!

64. In primary elections where voters must vote the party ballot selected at the time of registration, the system shall use the voter’s party affiliation as part of the ballot assignment logic
65. In primary elections where voters may select a party designation, the system shall present valid party selection options to the voter and use the voter’s designation as part of the ballot assignment logic { XE “In primary elections where voters may select a party designation, the system shall present valid party selection options to the voter and use the voter’s designation as part of the ballot assignment logic” } Best Practice!

66. The system shall print Opening and Closing Reports including details on the total check-ins, daily check-ins, and check-ins by ballot type and party when appropriate
67. The system shall account for ballots issued including details on the total number of standard and provisional ballots

68. The shall provide the capability of printing a voter list, including check-in status, address as well as the location and date of check-in
69. The printed voter list may be ordered alphabetically by voter name or chronologically by check-in time
70. The printed voter list may be executed on demand by precinct officials and printed on appropriate available printers for public viewing

71. The system shall be capable of sending a message of up to 400 characters, to the check-in stations at a single VC or at all VCs { XE “The system shall be capable of sending a message of up to 400 characters, to the check-in stations at a single VC or at all VCs” } Best Practice!
72. The system shall indicate the availability of messages by displaying an icon or other visible indicator
73. The system shall allow check-in staff to review the message by touching or clicking the icon or other visible indicator
74. If the system is not communicating when the message is sent, the system shall receive the message when it resumes communications

75. The system shall provide the means to enter supplemental notes enabling check-in staff to document special voter processing circumstances or to communicate post-election follow-up actions to the county

76. The system shall support a voter outreach mode that enables election officials to provide check-in stations at public functions where citizens can familiarize themselves with the voter check-in process and check their voter registration information, such as residence address, election jurisdictions, and voter registration status
77. The system shall collect and store voter address changes during voter-outreach events, and make these changes available to the election official for post-processed the address changes into the voter registration database

78. The system shall support a training mode to check in voters and make other changes to their records without disturbing the county voter registration database
79. The system shall support a training database which contains records of actual or fictitious voters
80. The training database shall support the use of ID cards to simulate a fictitious voter who provides his/her id card at check-in
81. The training database shall provide the capability to reset the database to its original state

82. The system shall interface with any printer set up within the hardware platform and Windows operating system
83. The system printer shall be capable of printing on single or multi-part label stock
84. The system shall be able to print a Startup Ticket including the election name, election mode, and the date and time
85. The system shall be able to print a Totals Ticket including the total number of check-ins performed so far that day on that specific check-in workstation
86. The system shall be able to print a Site Grand Totals Ticket including the total number of check-ins performed by check-in workstations at the VC { XE “The system shall be able to print a Site Grand Totals Ticket including the total number of check-ins performed by check-in workstations at the VC” } Best Practice!
87. The system shall be able to print a Voting Check-in Correction Ticket including the current number of voting check-in status corrections performed that day on that specific check-in workstation

88. The system shall be able to print a Get Out the Vote Report detailing an up-to-the-minute look at who has/has not voted in an election so far
89. The system shall be able to set up the report to run at regular intervals to ensure up to date information is made available frequently without having to manually run and post the report
90. The system shall be able to print an Early Voting Votes by Location Report to lists voters who checked-in at each VC { XE “The system shall be able to print an Early Voting Votes by Location Report to lists voters who checked-in at each VC” } Best Practice!
91. The system shall be able to print the Name and Address Change Activity Report to list the voters whose name or address were changed at a VC
92. The system shall be able to print the Voting Check-in Correction Report to list the voters who were checked in to vote whose check-in was later undone

93. The system shall feature a web monitor that enables election support personnel to monitor the status of each check-in workstation deployed during the election
94. The web monitor shall display the polling location, machine name, most recent communication (heartbeat), the number of voter check‐ins recorded, and the VC wait times
95. The system shall include a dashboard that offers election officials a high-level overview of election activity happening at the VCs, including the percentage and number of VCs that are ready for voters (or not), and the exact number of check-ins and estimated wait times across the election jurisdiction { XE “The system shall include a dashboard that offers election officials a high-level overview of election activity happening at the VCs, including the percentage and number of VCs that are ready for voters (or not), and the exact number of check-ins and estimated wait times across the election jurisdiction” } Best Practice!
96. The system dashboard shall display the peak times for voter turnout, locations or times of day with high voter wait times, and the success rate of VCs opening and closing on time

97. The check-in workstation shall be light weight and safely transportable to the VCs
98. The check-in workstation shall include a rugged case for storage, transportation, and operation within the case if desired
99. The check-in workstation shall include a built-in scanner, keyboard, and, signature capture screen { XE “The check-in workstation shall include a built-in scanner, keyboard, and, signature capture screen” } Best Practice!
100. The check-in workstation shall have one or more USB ports
101. The check-in workstation shall include a wired or wireless printer
102. The check-in workstations shall include a variety of methods, wired and wireless including Mi-Fi devices, to gain access to internet services for synchronization with all other check-in workstations and the county voter registration database { XE “The check-in workstations shall include a variety of methods, wired and wireless including Mi-Fi devices, to gain access to internet services for synchronization with all other check-in workstations and the county voter registration database” } Best Practice!
103. he check-in workstation shall be capable of operating in a stand-alone mode with a full copy of the county voter registration database, when communications or the server are down { XE “The check-in workstation shall be capable of operating in a stand-alone mode with a full copy of the county voter registration database, when communications or the server are down” } Best Practice!
104. The check-in workstation and all peripherals shall be capable of operating without power for up to four hours
105. The hardware shall have an expected life-span of 10 years { XE “The hardware shall have an expected life-span of 10 years” } Best Practice!
106. The system shall be certified for use in the State of California by the Secretary of State

107. The VC shall feature the use of a wired or wireless Wi-Fi LAN
108. The LAN shall support 10GB/s speeds between check-in stations located at the VC
109. The internet connection at each VC to the WAN shall support a minimum of 1.5Mbit/second
110. The internet connection at each VC to the outside may consist of an existing broadband connection already installed at the VC, provided the LANs are separated by a firewall or VPN router, or a new broadband connection provided by an Internet Service Provider selected by the county or a mobile cellular data connection such as MiFi in certain instances where the number of check-in workstations is 10 or less
111. The network may feature a firewall at the VC to protect the LAN from unauthorized access
112. The network may feature a router or VPN router selected by the county
113. The system shall use secure web services for WAN interactions
114. The vendor may make recommendations about the physical security of the data centers (locks, cameras, biometric devices, card readers, alarms)
115. The vendor may make recommendations about firewalls, application gateways, and intrusion detection systems (IDS) to protect the network
116. The system may feature Access Control Lists (ACLs) applied to virtual local area networks (VLANs) and applications
117. The vendor may make recommendations on hardening of the servers and operating system instances
118. The system shall support redundant internal and external DNS infrastructure with restricted write access

119. The system shall feature a device activator (e.g., USB key, smart card), so that the application looks for an activator device and does not proceed until one is provided
120. The data at rest on the system storage shall be encrypted { XE “The data at rest on the system storage shall be encrypted” } Best Practice!
121. The encryption key for the data at rest on the system storage shall be set during the generation of the election configuration files
122. The decryption key shall be distributed on the system activator { XE “The decryption key shall be distributed on the system activator” } Best Practice!
123. The data in transit over the network shall be encrypted { XE “The data in transit over the network shall be encrypted” } Best Practice!
124. The users of the system shall be granted standard user rights and not administrator rights
125. The system shall boot up directly into the application and not the general computer user environment
126. All unnecessary features and roles shall be removed from the operating system
127. Only system administrators may perform authenticated technical operations on the system including reimaging the computer or configuration of the device or network
128. The system shall generate procedure logs to track each function performed by the operator

129. The minimum number of required check-in workstations shall be one for every 40 voters served per hour (example: A VC serves 3,200⁴ voters per 8-hour day [3200/8/40=10])
130. The system shall have a demonstrable check-in rate of at least 60 voters per hour for voters not requiring special handling { XE “The system shall have a demonstrable check-in rate of at least 60 voters per hour for voters not requiring special handling” } Best Practice!
131. Each check-in workstation shall have the entire county voter database stored locally so that voter check-in is continuous even if the LAN, WAN, or central server is down or unreachable { XE “Each check-in workstation shall have the entire county voter database stored locally so that voter check-in is continuous even if the LAN, WAN, or central server is down or unreachable” } Best Practice!
132. Each check-in workstation shall have redundant storage, with one copy of the check-in data on removable media { XE “Each check-in workstation shall have redundant storage, with one copy of the check-in data on removable media” } Best Practice!
133. The system shall support a procedure to remove the media from one unit, and insert the media into a replacement unit, so that the replacement unit can commence operations from the point of time when the replaced unit failed { XE “The system shall support a procedure to remove the media from one unit, and insert the media into a replacement unit, so that the replacement unit can commence operations from the point of time when the replaced unit failed” } Best Practice!
134. The system shall support augmenting a VC with additional check-in workstations during voting without disruption to the other check-in workstations at the VC
135. The system shall support moving a check-in workstation from one VC to another VC for the easy redeployment of resources
136. The vendor may suggest other single point of failure conditions and make recommendations to eliminate these points of failure
137. The system shall provide remote technical support utilities including the ability for authorized personnel to remotely control certain functions such as changing the time zone, clock, VC location, or ballot printer settings { XE “The system shall provide remote technical support utilities including the ability for authorized personnel to remotely control certain functions such as changing the time zone, clock, VC location, or ballot printer settings” } Best Practice!

Footnotes

1. The use of the word “shall” indicates a minimum requirement. The use of the word “may” indicates an option at the discretion of the election official or vendor.
2. The VC DOL does not count toward the minimum number of DOLs prescribed by law.
3. To vote in person, a voter is not required to surrender his/her VBM ballot. Instead, the VBM ballot is canceled to prevent the return of the VBM ballot on the voter registration system. In other words, a vote in person supersedes the VBM ballot.
4. Initially, election officials may not know how many voters will appear at a given VC on any given day. The result of underestimating the number of voters who appear at a VC on a given day will be longer lines.