The Precinct Atlas © Developed by Cerro Gordo County Licensed by Iowa Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro
Problem statement In the 2008 presidential election, Iowa implemented Election Day voter registration (EDR). For the first time, precinct officials had responsibility to make front-line decisions on a voter’s eligibility to register and vote. Most decisions, if made incorrectly, could not be corrected or unmade.
Problem statement In addition to the increased responsibility was a confusing matrix of requirements, including: Ø Ø The list of valid IDs for an EDR voter is similar to but not the same as the list for pre-registered voters The voter’s address on a DL must be considered for an EDR voter, but is irrelevant for a pre-registered voter A pre-registered voter with an “Inactive” status who uses an attester is held to the higher EDR ID requirements, as opposed to the pre-registered ID requirements A utility bill can sometimes be used as an ID, while other times can only be used as a separate proof of residence
Problem statement Across the state, the results of the added duties included: Ø Ø Incomplete forms or forms with incorrect information Use of the wrong forms Failure to obtain required signatures Unnecessarily requiring voters to cast provisional ballots or go through the extensive EDR procedures, when a simple change-of-address or regular proof of identity was needed
Problem statement These new issues compounded the ever-present problems such as: Ø Ø Ø Illegible handwriting Balancing the number of voters in the precinct register with the number of ballots in the ballot scanner Sending a voter to the wrong precinct Marking the wrong voter’s name in the precinct register Giving a voter the wrong ballot Staff time to process voter activity following the election
The Precinct Atlas is an electronic pollbook and precinct management system. Its purpose is to assist Iowa’s election officials in administering elections efficiently, while safeguarding the rights of each voter and applying election laws in a correct and consistent manner.
The Precinct Atlas As opposed to vendor software programs, the Precinct Atlas is customized to be Iowa-specific. The program is not involved with marking or counting votes, and it is independent from all election and voter registration systems.
The Precinct Atlas Precinct officials can use the program to: Ø Ø Ø Search for and select voters Mark voters as having voted at the polls Determine voter eligibility Determine a voter’s correct polling place Update a voter’s registration information And work with voters casting provisional ballots, voters requesting assistance, and voters registering at the polls on Election Day
Source data The source of the data used in the Precinct Atlas is I-VOTERS, the statewide voter registration and election management software managed by the Iowa Secretary of State. Before an election, data is exported from I-VOTERS and imported into the Precinct Atlas.
Non-proprietary The program is written in SQL Express, a free version of SQL Server. Hardware is off-the-shelf, industry-standard label printers and laptop computers connected by a crossover cable, hub, or wireless access point. Hardware is non-proprietary to reduce costs to counties.
Partnership Following the 2008 presidential election, Cerro Gordo County developed the Precinct Atlas and used it for the first time at a special election in February 2009. The County copyrighted the software and sold a license-to-distribute to the Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro has offered the software to all Iowa counties at no cost.
Partnership The County and the Secretary have worked together on the following : Ø Ø Ø Review of the functionality, design logic, and business rules for compliance with Iowa law Revision of election forms to accommodate labels Creation of data extracts from and uploads to I-VOTERS Development of installation, training, and support tools and services Definition of specifications for state contracts for multiple equipment purchases
Costs to counties Laptop computers and label printers represent the bulk of the out-of-pocket costs to counties. Soft costs include training for election staff and precinct officials.
Election forms Most labels printed from the Precinct Atlas are used to complete election forms, including the provisional ballot envelope and Election Day voter registration forms, among others. Labels contain voter-specific or situation-specific information, while the forms are preprinted with the necessary generic language. Forms are color-coded for quick and error-free selection.
General design The screens present step-by-step instructions in simple, straightforward language. Each screen is limited to one issue or question, and the precinct official will generally click the Forward button to proceed.
Connectivity Two laptop computers – which can process a thousand voters on Election Day – can be connected with a crossover cable. A hub or wireless access point can be used to connect three or more laptops. When multiple computers are networked, one is designated the master.
Printed labels Labels are printed on a label printer attached to each laptop by a USB port. Each set of laptop and printer are “married” to each other. The label printer is also “married” to a specific USB port.
Experiences By November 2009 – less than a year since it was created – 36 counties had used the Precinct Atlas in one or more election precincts.
Future The next step will be to transmit the list of persons who voted at the polls to the courthouse or other central location. This could potentially benefit candidates and political parties who now collect this information through “poll-watching”.
Future Another evolution will be development of a similar software program for use by county auditors in managing “satellite” absentee voting stations.
A standard precinct setup with two laptops, two label printers, and file folder for blank and completed forms
Attachments are color-coded for easy assembly
Quick reference to color-coded form Forward button is grayed-out until tasks are checked off A checklist screen with step-by-step instructions
Printed labels are used to complete election forms
Partially complete Election Day Registration form Election forms can be used with or without labels
Voter’s Address is not in this Precinct Iowa law requires each person to vote in the precinct where the voter lives. Based on your current address, your polling place for this election is: Mason City W 3 P 3 FIRST COVENANT CHURCH 411 S OHIO AVE, MASON CITY Polls for this election close at 9: 00 PM. Most labels are used to complete election forms Above: an example of a label handed to the voter
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