scvotes.org Voter Frequently Asked Questions : South Carolina State Election Commission

Organisation : South Carolina State Election Commission
Facility : Voter Frequently Asked Questions
State : South Carolina
Country : United States

Voter Frequently Asked Questions : http://scvotes.org/voter_frequently_asked_questions
Home Page : http://www.scvotes.org/

Voter Frequently Asked Questions :
Below is a list of our most frequently asked questions. Some of the information is specific to the new uniform statewide voting system.

Please Note :
If you are registered, but have lost or not received your voter registration card, state law allows the use of a valid South Carolina drivers license or a DMV issued state ID as proof of identity at your precinct. If you have any other questions about your voter registration status or application, please contact your county board of voter registration.

After I cast my ballot, where do my votes go?
Election results are stored in three independent memory locations within the voting machine. Additionally there is a removable storage card locked inside the voting unit that records internal audit information.

Are results that are transferred over phone lines official?
No. Election results are not official until days after the election, when they are verified and certified by the authority conducting the election. While this method is rarely used, it is particularly helpful in reporting election night results in a timely manner from polling places located in remote areas.

Are the DRE voting systems tested?
Yes. The voting system goes through a rigorous set of tests that are performed by the Independent Testing Authorities (ITAs) – one for the software (source code) and one for the hardware. The ITAs are certified by the Federal Election Commission and follow the Voting System Standards. The ITA tests to ensure that the voting system accurately tallies votes and that the hardware is impervious to destructive handling and magnetic devices. South Carolina receives the executable software directly from the ITA, not from ES&S. In addition to the testing performed by the Independent Testing Authorities, the State of South Carolina conducts tests on each voting unit before it can be certified for use in the State.

Can my vote be altered?
No. Illegally changing votes would require a conspiracy of unscrupulous voters or election insiders, or a combination of the two. The electoral process is designed in such a way that no single individual, or even a small group of individuals, can tamper with the election results. It is also important to note that such a conspiracy would not necessarily require any “security relevant flaws” in the software code to accomplish its aims. Fraud of this degree would have the potential to undermine any voting system.

How are election results posted for poll watchers?
A small printer, much like the one used in adding machines, is attached to the voting unit. It is in a locked compartment during voting hours. After the polls close, a poll manager prints the vote totals for each candidate in each contest. After the poll manager signs the printed report, the report is posted on the wall, as has been done in the past.

How can I be assured that my vote is protected?
There are numerous checks and balances in the election process. There is rigorous and comprehensive testing performed on the hardware and software of the voting system and on each and every voting unit before the election as well as testing after the election. While the computers on which votes are recorded and tabulated are important, the election officials administering the elections are equally important. South Carolina’s election officials are committed public servants who fully believe in the democratic process and the right of every individual to exercise the right to vote. Their integrity is beyond reproach. Additionally, South Carolina’s poll managers are chosen for their trustworthiness and high integrity. They take an Oath of Office to uphold the public trust, once before Election Day and again on the morning of the election. These are the same poll managers in which you have placed your trust for years and years.

How do I know my vote will be counted?
When the final on-screen ballots is complete, voters have the opportunity to review their choices. Once complete, voters are instructed to cast their votes by pressing the oval shaped ‘VOTE’ button at the top of the iVotronic voting machine. The iVotronic will not cast a ballot until all pages have been viewed and the review screen appears. At this point the ‘VOTE’ button begins to flash red. Pressing the button will finalize the voter’s selections and cast their ballot. The voter will hear the unit beep twice as confirmation their vote was cast. The screen will also confirm the ballot was cast by displaying ‘Thank you for voting’.

How do I know the new voting machine will work properly on Election Day?
Each piece of equipment is prepared for the election by election staff and a test is held to verify this process. Before this process and after the test is completed, all equipment is sealed and secured until being opened by the poll managers in the polling location on Election Day.

How is a Recount handled?
There are three ways to conduct a recount on the iVotronic voting system:
(1) an automated recount of the central system;
(2) an automated recount of the ballot images; or
(3) a manual recount of the ballot images.
(1) The automated recount of the central system involves creating a recount database in the central computer and then rereading the memory cards from each iVotronic voting units affected by the recount.
(2) The automated recount of the ballot images is done by reading each vote cast on each iVotronic voting units from the precincts affected by the recount and recording each vote cast on the unit’s recount tally sheet. This continues until all voting units affected are recounted.
(3) The manual recount of the ballot images is done by printing the ballot images from each of the voting units affected by the recount. Once the ballot images are printed, a team of election officials manually count the printed ballots.

How will the new machine prevent people from voting more than once?
All voters are checked in by election staff to ensure that they are a registered voter and that they are eligible to vote. The poll manager records their intention to vote, and acts as the safeguard to ensure that each person votes only once. A poll manager activates the voting machine with the proper ballot, which authorizes and allows one vote per voter. The poll manager monitors the voting process, and identifies and removes any voter who attempts to tamper with the voting equipment. It is a felony to tamper with the voting equipment or process, subject to a fine, imprisonment or both.

I have moved to South Carolina after the 30 day voter registration deadline, can I still vote?
Federal legislation 1965 Voting Rights Act, as amended, section 42 USCA 1973aa-1 permits a voter who moves to a new state within 30 days prior to the Presidential election (and who may therefore fail to qualify for voter registration in their new state) to vote for President and Vice President only in their state of former residence. In South Carolina, this means a registered voter of another state who has moved to SC after the registration deadline may vote in their former state for President and Vice President only. That voter should contact their former voting office to request a ballot. If a registered voter of a South Carolina county moves to another state within 30 days (or after that state’s registration cut-off), this voter may contact their former county office and request an absentee ballot for President and Vice-President only. The voter would go through the normal absentee voting procedures, either by mail or in person. The former county is responsible for furnishing this voter a ballot for President/Vice President. A voter who has moved to another state within this deadline also has the option of returning to their former precinct and voting in person at the polls for President and Vice President only. This will probably require the voter to cast a provisional ballot.