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| AutoMARK Technical Services (ATS)... |
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| Author |
Message |
    
Pat Duff
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Arbortender
Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 1:15 pm: | 
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Toward the end of a fascinating video debate between two candidates for California Secretary of State, hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle, California Senator Debra Bowen makes a case for using AutoMARK machines for disabled voters, which incumbent Secretary of State Bruce McPherson challenges hotly. (btw, the Chronicle endorsed Senator Bowen)
I've come to have a great deal of respect for Senator Bowen's style and her track record of integrity, while my suspicion of the incumbent grows daily.
Do we have any testing or analysis on the AutoMARK system?
I don't see any recent information here on the AutoMARK, but here are links to a few of the previous threads discussing the machines, the company history, the relationship with ES&S, and some counties that purchased them:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/6825.html?1125583795
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/8/5823.html
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/17084.html
I'll dig some more too, but is anyone here aware of any more recent information that could be of help in evaluating the recommendation? |
Pat Duff
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Arbortender
Post Number: 15
Registered: 02-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 2:11 pm: |
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The AutoMARK is named (as is every other VVPAT system) in the Avante patent infringement lawsuit, which is detailed here with the complaint and exhibits: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/8/32967.html?1162331393 |
Jerry Berkman
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Jerry
Post Number: 23
Registered: 05-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 4:08 pm: |
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The AutoMark is a Ballot Marking Device, i.e. the voter puts in an unmarked, but preprinted ballot, and enters his or her choice via a touch screen. The AutoMark prints over the ballot indicating the voters choices.
The AutoMark does not record votes; it is not a DRE and does not have a VVPAT in the sense of a DRE. Paper ballots are used with the AutoMark. Since it is not a DRE, I don't think it could be named in the lawsuit. ES&S is named in the lawsuit, but probably for the ES&S iVotronic DRE, not for the AutoMark. |
Jerry Berkman
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Jerry
Post Number: 24
Registered: 05-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 4:27 pm: |
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Oops. I looked at the complaint and they list all the ES&S products, both the iVotronic, the AutoMark, optical scanners, etc.
But to the point of the original query, when Debra Bowen discusses the AutoMark, she is talking about a paper ballot system, not an electronic voting system. |
Pat Duff
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Arbortender
Post Number: 16
Registered: 02-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Monday, November 6, 2006 - 1:03 pm: |
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Yes, and Bowen explains the system pretty succinctly. I've a good deal of faith that Debra Bowen knows what she's talking about and am inclined by experience to say that if she recommends the AutoMark, then she's studied it and found it worthy of merit. She's been a pitbull of a state senator, for the People. I am very proud to welcome her as my Secretary of State.
Still, I'm a strong advocate of
1. Paper Ballots
2. Sharpies
3. People Count the Vote
Independent verification of the particulars of any such equipment is part of my gig as an American. Much has been posted here about other systems' testing failures, flaws, and vulnerabilities.
Is there ANY testing information available on the AutoMark system? I thought I had read somewhere that testing was underway, but haven't been able to reconnect with that detail, and haven't found anything on it yet here. Has the AutoMark cleared state hurdles anywhere?
We've got a presidential election coming up (this is news to none, I know) and two years may just be long enough to solve the disaster that is our voting system. |
Jerry Berkman
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Jerry
Post Number: 26
Registered: 05-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, November 11, 2006 - 11:17 pm: |
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AutoMark just marks preprinted paper ballots. You can have one per precinct for accessibility. Once the ballots are marked, they are put in with the other ballots. The ballots can then be hand counted or machine counted - AutoMark is not involved.
AutoMark as part of an ES&S system has been certified for use in California. That system is the only non-DRE system certified for use in California, which is probably why Debra Bowen mentioned it.
It is not ideal; but it is certified and not a DRE. |
Mike LaBonte
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Mike_labonte
Post Number: 31
Registered: 12-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 - 2:25 pm: |
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I am wondering if anyone knows of any existing recommendations on local testing of AutoMARK machines. All of Massachusetts will be using them, and some kind of testing will have to be done before each election. Like other touchscreen machines, it will take longer than for an optical scanner because each vote must be entered manually.
My thinking is that the AutoMARKs should be used to generate some number of ballots, verifying along the way that it will not produce overvotes and tries to prevent undervotes, etc. Then the printed ballots should be run through a tabulator, preferably the one for that precinct. How many will suffice?
Does anyone have access to existing test procedures for these? |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 6277
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 - 3:30 pm: |
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I think John Washburn will have information on this. They use the AutoMARK extensively in Wisconsin, where he resides, and he has outstanding expertise on testing issues in general and voting machine testing specifically. If he doesn't weigh in here within the next day or two, I'll try to get his contact info to you. |
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