Minimum Security Procedures for Voting Systems

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Division of Elections

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

1S-2.015Minimum Security Procedures for Voting Systems

NOTICE OF CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 41 No. 159, August 17, 2015 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.

The following changes were made to Rule 1S-2.015 Minimum Security Procedures for Voting Systems:

(2)(i) changes as follows:

(i) “Tabulation” means the act of a tabulator (e.g., optical scanner) counting the voter selections for candidates or ballot measures.  The tabulator scans the voter selections on a ballot or paper output from a hybrid voting system and determines the vote count for the candidate or ballot measure.

 

(5)(c) changes as follows:

(c) Ballot preparation. The security procedures shall describe the steps necessary to ensure that the ballot contains the proper races, candidates and issues for each ballot variation and that the ballots can be successfully tabulated. The ballot preparation procedures shall, at a minimum, contain the following:

1. Assignment of unique marks or other coding necessary for identifying ballot variations or precincts;

21. Verification that unique marks or other coding necessary for tabulation are correct; and

32. Description of method to verify that all ballots and ballot variations are accurately prepared and printed.

 

(5)(j)f. changes as follows:

f. Accounting for all ballots and paper outputs from a hybrid voting system after the polls close.

 

(5)(k)1. through 3. changes as follows:

(k) Transport of ballots and/or election materials. The security procedures shall describe the steps necessary to ensure a complete written record of the chain of custody of ballots, paper outputs from a hybrid voting system, and election materials on Election Day and during the early voting period and shall include:

1. A description of the method and equipment used to transport all ballots, paper outputs from a hybrid voting system, and/or election materials.

2. A method of recording the names of the individuals who transport the ballots and/or election materials from one site to another and the time they left the sending site.

3. A method of recording the time the individuals who transport the ballots, paper outputs from a hybrid voting system, and/or election materials arrived at the receiving site and the name of the individual at the receiving site who accepted the ballots, paper outputs from a hybrid voting system, and/or election materials.

 

(5)(l) changes as follows:

(l) Receiving and preparing voted ballots. The security procedures shall describe the process of receiving and preparing paper outputs from a hybrid voting system and voted ballots, including provisional ballots, election data and memory devices to include, at a minimum, the following:

 

(5)(o)4. changes as follows:

4. Process for precluding voters from voting at the polls and casting an absentee ballot;

 

(5)(r)5. changes as follows:

5. Description of the method for determining the security of ballots, paper outputs from a hybrid voting system, chain of custody controls, protocols for authorized access, and secure storage of ballots and paper outputs from a hybrid voting system, that may be used in an audit.

 

Additionally, a note was added following the rule text, changing the proposed effective date of the rule to April 1, 2016:

PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE. April 1, 2016.

 

All other portions of the proposed rule remain unchanged.