Re: How do you audit a GEMS machine?

Hello Doug and Ron:

I was afraid it would be something like that. I'll pass your advice along
to the interested parties.

-- 
Thanks, Edmund R. Kennedy
Always work for the common good.
10777 Bendigo Cove
San Diego, CA 92126-2510
USA
I blog now and then at: <http://ekennedyx.blogspot.com/>
Also, I've got a web site at <http://geocities.com/ekennedyx/>
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Douglas W. Jones" <jones@cs.uiowa.edu>
To: "Open Voting Consortium discussion list" <ovc-discuss@listman.sonic.net>
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2005 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [OVC-discuss] How do you audit a GEMS machine?
>
> On Jun 17, 2005, at 1:14 PM, Ed Kennedy wrote:
>
>> Here in San Diego County we use Diebold GEMS machines to read the memory 
>> card from Diebold Acuvote scanners. Generously assuming that the scanner 
>> cards generally reflect what went under the scan heads ,how would a Poll 
>> Watcher audit the aggregation of votes on a GEMS machine?
>
> At the close of the polls, each scanner should produce a poll-closing
> tape (in stand alone mode) before the memory card is touched.  Best
> practice is to print two tapes, one to be posted in public, the other
> to be signed and returned to the county building with the memory card.
> Poll watchers can transcribe from the public tape, or even photograph
> it.
>
> The final report from GEMS ought to include a report, for each precinct,
> of the totals.  This should match exactly the totals reported from the
> precinct.
>
> Of course, just because the printers are there doesn't mean that they're
> used properly!  Iowa, Illinois and Florida all have laws that make the
> posting of a public report at the precinct mandatory.  I don't recall
> the laws of other states.
>
> Then, there's the matter of accounting.  The totals reported from the
> precinct scanner may not be the totals GEMS reports if the accounting
> system of the county is set up funny.  For example, there are write-in
> votes, absentee votes and others.  If the adjustments for these are
> entered in GEMS and then simply folded into the precinct totals without
> making clear what is being done, the result can be murder to audit, if
> it is possible at all.
>
> The devil is in the details.
>
> Doug Jones
> jones@cs.uiowa.edu
>
>
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