Article 10 Electronic Voting System

Sponsored by:Standing Committee on Rules

Motion on Article 10

• I move that the town raise and appropriate $15,000 to purchase an Electronic Tally and Display System.

• And I further move that the town raise and appropriate $1,500 to pay a temporary contract person to serve as Voting Administrator during Town Meetings in FY2011.

Motion on Article 10• Said funds shall be spent under the

direction of the Town Moderator.

• I further move that the FY2011 Reserve Fund appropriation of $400,000 be reduced by $16,500.

Issues• Current Problems

– Opportunities to make improvements in the way we vote at Town Meeting

• The Electronic Solution– Security and reliability issues investigated

• Procedures– Various situations considered

Overview • History

– Rules Committee has made periodic reports to Town Meeting

– Town bylaws have been carefully amended to allow voting using an electronic tally and display system

– Demonstration for Town Meeting Members held on September 29, 2010

– The Rules Committee has developed procedures to conduct electronic voting

Overview • Vendors

– Researched system from four different vendors

– All use similar hardware but different software

• Current Users– System used for voting by Illinois County

Government– Framingham School department purchased 11

sets with 24 keypads each

Authorization to Use• Electronic voting authorized at the

beginning of each Town Meeting by a majority vote (First Session ONLY)….

– Example of Authorization Motion:

“I move that the Moderator may use an electronic tally and display system during this Town Meeting when a count of votes or a ballot vote is taken.”

Keypads

Unique keypads used by each Town Meeting Member to vote:

YES (1A), NO (2/B), or ABS (3/C)

Voting• Town Meeting Members press a keypad

button during the voting period

• Names and votes displayed after each voting period (not a secret vote)

– Town Meeting Members and the public can view the names and votes displayed

– Town Meeting Members verify that their vote was received correctly

Test Yes

109 / 216

P16 Convery, J P17 Price, M Yes P18 Snow, Jr., N,

P16 DeMarco, F P17 Shay, D P18 VACANT,

P16 DeMarco, K P17 Price, M Yes P18 VACANT,

P16 Fishkin, E P17 Shay, D P18 VACANT,

P16 LaBarge, W P17 VACANT, P18 VACANT,

P16 Marks, D Yes P17 VACANT, P18 VACANT,

P16 LaBarge, W P17 VACANT,

P16 Varris, P P17 VACANT,

P16 VACANT, P17 VACANT,

P16 VACANT, P18 Clain, B

P16 VACANT, P18 Crane, A

P16 VACANT, P18 D’Costa, V Yes

P17 Aglon, A P18 Jebari, R

P17 Baritz, R Yes P18 Lang, J

P17 Fonseca, J Yes P18 Lewis, G

PassYes = 109 No = 0 Abstain = 0

Article 99, Main Motion

109 / 216

P01 Anthony, Jr., T Abs P02 Cooper, N P03 Lefort, B Yes

P01 Banerjee, T Yes P02 Geller, G Yes P03 Moran, H

P01 Dostie, B P02 Geller, H Yes P03 Southworth, C

P01 Dwyer, J No P02 Goddard, M Yes P03 Woodward, P

P01 Gatlin, K P02 Horn, L P03 Zimmerman,

P01 Gill, J P02 Longden, Jr., P03 VACANT,

P01 Lamkin, M No P02 Shull, S P04 Chasan, H

P01 Orr, S No P02 VACANT, P04 Estes, S Yes

P01 Pinn, S Yes P02 VACANT, P04 Lackey, L No

P01 Vassar, E No P03 Casselman, C P04 McLaughlin, C

P01 Vassar, R No P03 Dempsey, K P04 Pabst, D

P01 Wishnow, M P03 Dempsey, M P04 Sanchez, R

P02 Blanchard, J P03 Dixon, G P04 Schmeidler, L No

P02 Calder, M P03 Fritz, M P04 Schmeidler, P No

P02 Cataldo, N P03 Hall, A Yes P04 Tolman, J

FailYes = 43 No =65 Abstain = 1

Records

• Total of votes (YES, NO, ABSTAIN) are displayed and announced

• Names and votes recorded and kept by the Town Clerk as a public record

• For a ballot vote, names with votes are published in the Town Meeting Journal

Managing Database and Keypads• Town Meeting Member names and their

keypad numbers entered into active roster

• Names added when new Town Meeting Member elected and a new keypad assigned

• Town Meeting Members given a their keypad when they check in

• Keypads are returned each night when Town Meeting Members leave

• Missing keypad noted and another keypad assigned to that Town Meeting Member

Operations tasks• Rules Committee Member

– Distributes keypads and checks return of keypads

• Voting Administrator– Enters/edits Town Meeting Member names and

keypad numbers into database– Enters title for each vote– Starts and stops voting period– Displays screens of names with votes– Displays screen of vote totals– Records results as necessary

Appropriation• Purchased Equipment

– A computer, display switch, receiver (and a spare), keypads (with spares) and software

– The technology has been in use for 8 years– The cost per year for 10 years is $7 per TMM

or 5 cents per registered voter

• Fund Voting Administrator– Operates and Manages the system– Contract agency provides backup person

Why Now• Benefits

– Less delay and disruption at Town Meeting– Annual Town Meeting may run one day shorter– More recorded votes makes Town Meeting more

transparent and accountable to citizens– System in place for the 2011 Annual Town Meeting

• Cost– Not a significant cost in the $210M Town budget– No reduction in department budgets

Motion under Article 10• Appropriate $15,000

– For purchase of equipment and software

• Appropriate $1,500– To pay for a Voting Administrator

• Reduce the Reserve Fund appropriation– No reduction in department budgets

Article 10 Electronic Voting System

Sponsored by:Standing Committee on Rules

Changes to a Town Meeting Member’s Vote

from what was Displayed

Article No.: ___ Date of the Vote: ___/___/___

Title of the Motion Voted: __________________________

Town Meeting Member: ________________ Precinct: __

Displayed Vote: YES ____ NO ____ ABSTAIN _____

Intended Vote: YES ____ NO ____ ABSTAIN _____

Town Meeting Member’s Signature: ___________________

Town Clerk’s Signature: ___________________________