PA Secretary Cortes Provides Election Day Update |
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By: Pennsylvania Department of State Posted: 2006-11-07 21:49:23 |
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Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes today said voting in the General Election is going well, and preparations made by the state and counties are allowing voters to make their voices heard.
"Considering this is the first General Election where voters are using new electronic voting systems, Pennsylvania is having a good election day," Cortes said. "As in every election, counties notify us when issues arise and we work collaboratively to find resolutions. In a few cases, backup procedures have been used to make sure every vote is counted. Most issues have been resolved quickly and we have found that the majority of the issues raised have been the result of human error. Suggestions that voting machines are failing across the commonwealth are simply erroneous and not borne out by the facts," he said. After Pennsylvania's successful primary, which was the first election using new voting machines as a result of the Help America Vote Act, the Department of State worked closely with counties to prepare for the General Election. Before a voting system is certified for use in Pennsylvania, it undergoes a two-tier testing process. First, as a prerequisite to being certified by the Department of State, an electronic voting system must be examined and approved by a federally recognized independent testing authority, which reviews both the hardware and software components of an electronic voting system to ensure that the voting system meets the applicable federal standards. The electronic voting system must then be examined by experts and approved by the Department of State prior to use anywhere in the commonwealth. The department reviewed 19 systems and certified 13 for use in Pennsylvania. Today, 10 systems are in use in the General Election. In addition to the certification process, specific procedures are in place to ensure election system security. The systems are well secured and the counties have a specific chain of custody that designates authorized individuals to handle the machines. The department also makes sure that each county has backup procedures in place, if necessary. "All polling places are open. I encourage all voters to exercise their right to vote, which is the foundation of our democracy," Cortes said. "Any voter who has questions or concerns about voting should call 1-877-VOTESPA or contact their local county board of elections." Cortes reminded voters that polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. He also asked voters to keep the following tips in mind: -- All voters who are voting for the first time in their election district must present valid identification at the polling place. Examples of proper identification include a Pennsylvania driver's license, an employee identification card, a voter registration card and a current utility bill showing voter's name and address. -- When you are at the polling place, use the voting system(s) selected by your county election officials. Backup paper ballots may be used only in the event that the voting system becomes inoperable and the county board of elections decides it cannot be used. -- To vote for a candidate whose name appears on the ballot, you must select the candidate according to the instructions for your voting system. If you write in a candidate's name that already appears on the ballot for that office, your vote for that office will not count. -- As long as you are registered to vote, or believe you are properly registered, no one can deny you the right to cast a ballot. If anyone tries to stop you from voting, immediately ask for the Judge of Election at the polling place. If the Judge of Election tells you that you cannot vote on the voting system, you must be provided a provisional ballot to cast your vote. -- Finally, any voter who is disabled and requires assistance should ask local election officials for help. |
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