ES&S

ES&S

(In their own words)

Q1: What does ES&S do?

A: Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) is the world’s largest and most experienced provider of total election management solutions. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska with over 400 employees located in eight regional U.S. offices and agents on five continents, ES&S; has supported more than 30,000 elections worldwide during the past decade--6,182 elections supported in 2002 alone. In the 2000 U.S. elections, ES&S; systems counted over 100 million ballots. ES&S;’ hardware and software solutions support the entire election process to include voter registration, ballot production, voting, vote tabulation, and results reporting.

Q2: What is ES&S;' role in elections?

A: ES&S; has been providing solutions to election clients for over three decades. We deliver professional services and support for our customers before, during, and after their elections. With each client, the specific services we provide are based on their particular needs. Because our products and services cover the entire range of the election administration process and can be used modularly (either individually or in combination) our role can vary greatly from one client to the next.

Generally, we view the election administration process in three phases. The Pre-Election Phase includes all the planning and preparation for an upcoming election. For several weeks leading up the General Election, we support our clients by providing ballot management services, election data and programming services, ballot printing services, comprehensive training, and system maintenance services. For clients who are new to ES&S; or have upgraded their systems significantly since their last election, we also provide system implementation, integration and training services.

On Election Day, we support our clients in a variety of ways. For all clients on major election dates, we provide National Election Support Call Centers that will be staffed from the earliest poll opening to the last report of election returns. In addition, we deploy a network of technical support personnel and backup equipment around the country to be able to reach a client in need of emergency assistance. In some cases, our clients also ask us to be on site with them to provide system support directly. Finally, we have a growing number of clients that have chosen to have us perform certain administrative services for them under contract.

For Election Administrators, the work continues after the election. Our Post-Election support often includes additional detailed precinct or contest level reports, assistance with canvassing and auditing. In those rare instances where a contest is disputed, we can assist our clients with recounts or other verification procedures, as appropriate. We also consult with our clients to identify potential areas for improvement for future elections.

Because many of our clients continually hold a large number of elections, the completion of this cycle often takes us directly into the Pre-election Phase for the next election.

Q3: Is ES&S; a public company?

A: ES&S; is a privately held business. Our stock is owned by a combination of employees and outside investors.

Q4: What are your revenues and what sort of financial outlook do you have?

A: It is our policy to not disclose our financial performance or our expectations of future financial results. By many measures, ES&S; is the largest and most successful business of its kind in the world. While the level of revenue and our year over year performance has been very satisfying, we are most pleased with the more important measure of a growing list of clients who experience trouble free elections.

Our Products

Q5: How does the ES&S; system handle voting, counting, and tabulating?

A: Voting is the process of the voters indicating their choices on the ballot or on the electronic device. We handle this in different ways depending on the type of voting system being used. Generally, ES&S; simply provides the client with the means to allow its voters to indicate their choices. The votes are then held until they are counted.

The counting of the ballots is the process of determining what the voter marked as their choices. Once that information is gathered, the tabulation rules can be applied. Tabulation rules vary by jurisdiction and by client. The counting and tabulation processes are automated within the ES&S; systems. These processes are performed at the location where the vote is cast. At the conclusion of that process, the voting device can produce a stand-alone report, or transmit the results of the tabulation to the Administrator or other location.

ES&S; has eight different tabulation products:

Electronic Ballot, Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) Voting Systems - The iVotronic, Votronic® and V-2000 are decentralized touch screen / touch-panel voting systems that count and tabulate electronic ballots at the polling place, as votes are cast.

Paper Ballot, Optical Mark Read (OMR) Systems - These are systems that read voters' marks on paper ballots. The ES&S; Model 100 and Optech 3P Eagle are decentralized OMR systems where ballots are counted and tabulated as they are cast, right at the polling place. The ES&S; Model 650, Model 150, Model 550, and Optech 4C are centralized OMR systems that count and tabulate ballots at a central or regional location.

Punch Card Ballot, Punch Card Reader Systems - The PBC-2100 is a decentralized system that counts and tabulates punch card ballots at the polling place, as they are cast. ES&S; also supports high-speed central card reading systems.

Q6: Does every ES&S; client use the same equipment or procedure for voting?

A: No. The needs of clients vary widely from state to state as well according to their size and demographics. As a result, some clients will use optical scan systems that are tabulated centrally, at the precinct, or only for postal or absentee ballots. Others, will use our touch screen systems with optical ballots used only for postal absentees. However, there are common features to all ES&S; systems. Any configuration of products selected by our client will allow them to deploy a simple, proven system to the voters. Also, all of our systems provide the Election Administrator with a solid audit trail of ballot data that can be used in the event of a recount, a disputed election, or for disaster recovery. ES&S; systems are also secure and protect the election data from unauthorized access or tampering.

Q7: Does ES&S; handle pre-election day voting?

A: Yes. Our systems have been designed to handle all the challenges faced by the Election Administrator. Pre-election day voting is becoming increasingly popular as Administrators respond to changes in laws and trends to address declining voter turnout. Our systems focus on the needs of the administrator to comprehensively prepare for the election, manage early and Election Day voting, and seamlessly accumulate and report the results. With our vast array of tabulation options and coherent software interface, Administrators are free to choose the options that work best for them.

Q8: Do ES&S; systems handle absentee ballots?

A: Absentee ballots are an integral part of most elections and ES&S; offers the best variety of products to support this form of voting. Most often conducted through the mail, ES&S; is uniquely situated with its high-speed ballot scanners for tabulation of folded ballots.

Q9: Can ballots be produced and processed in a variety of languages to accommodate culturally diverse jurisdictions?

A: Over the past several years ES&S; has increased the options available to Administrators to utilize multilingual ballots. Following the 2000 Census, we see Administrators' needs in this area growing. All of our systems support multiple languages.

Q10: Do ES&S; systems serve those with disabilities -- physically handicapped, hearing and / or visually impaired?

A: Accessibility is a growing concern of election administrators around the world. To meet this demand, ES&S; has introduced its Audio Ballot System as part of the iVotronic. Using the Audio iVotronic, any voter is able to interact with their ballot in a totally secure and unassisted fashion. Using the Audio iVotronic provides the disabled voter all of the privacy and safeguards other voters have enjoyed. Voters in wheel chairs can be accommodated through special height booths, table top deployment, or lap top voting due to the light weight and wireless operation of the system.

Q11: Will these special services for those with disabilities be available at all polling locations and will voting assistance be provided?

A: These decisions are made by the Election Administrator in each jurisdiction. Finding suitable accessible polling locations is indeed a challenge. We believe the ES&S; systems provides the most flexibility for any Election Administrator to provide accessibility to the ballot for the widest range of voters.

Voting Process and Security

Q12: Who or what determines the voting process and/or equipment used in each locale?

A: This is largely determined by the laws in each state and the preferences of the decision-makers within each jurisdiction. Some states permit or require the use of only certain types of systems. For example, following the 2000 General Election, certain states mandated the replacement of punch card voting systems. Election Administrators and other decision makers often consider legal requirements, budgetary considerations, staff capabilities, and voter preferences / familiarity when selecting a type of voting system.

Q13: Can ES&S; systems reassure voters that they are properly registered so they can cast a vote on Election Day?

A: ES&S;’ voter registration products allow the Election Administrators to easily manage their voter records, update them for changes, and produce poll books for use on Election Day. If a voter feels that they should be entitled to vote, our systems also allow for the casting of “challenged” or "provisional" ballots in a variety of ways. These sorts of procedures typically allow for a voter to cast a ballot that can be either included or excluded from the official tally after officials complete an investigation of the voter’s credentials. ES&S; systems make this a simple straightforward process.

Q14: How do I know that my vote is being counted?

A: When using the iVotronic system, the voter will have a clear indication on the screen of each choice they make. When a candidate or choice is selected, the response area is displayed in a contrasting color and vote indicator is shown. If a voter wishes to change their selection, they can simply touch the response area again to de-select and touch their new choice. At the end of the ballot, a review screen showing all of the races and choices is shown. If the voter wishes to change any choice, they can select that race and complete the voting process again.

After reviewing all ballot selections, the voter presses the lighted red “VOTE” button. The final "Thank You For Voting" screen indicates that the ballot has been properly cast. Through National and State certifications, the voter can be assured that their votes are accurately captured by the system. Additional logic and accuracy testing is performed by the Election Administrator’s staff prior to each election. Canvass procedures also ensure that all the votes cast at the polls are collected and reported in the final tally. Any voter who wishes to learn more about the specific procedures used by their local administrator to count their vote should contact their local or state election official.

Q15: If I make a mistake, can I recast my vote?

A: Every choice you make on any ES&S; system is clearly indicated to you as a voter. If that choice is not what you intended, each voting system has a process to allow you to correct it. On the touch screen systems, you can simply touch your new choice or de-select your choice and make your new one. On optical scan ballots, you simply return your ballot and ask for a new one.

Q16: How does ES&S; support election result collection and publishing?

A: Most of our clients gather all election results to one central point for analysis and then “publishing” – releasing the election results to the public. When using our precinct counting systems and touch screen systems, the election is tabulated as the polls close. As part of that process, data files containing the results are created and can be transmitted to the Election Administrator in a variety of ways including land-line or wireless modems, wide area networks, or even hand transportation. Our systems can utilize a wide variety of electronic transmissions due to their ability to integrate modems and networks. Our clients with these capabilities use secure analog telephone lines, wireless cellular, PCS, digital cellular, TCP/IP, satellite, and radio towers. Once combined with early and / or absentee results, these election night returns are then published.

When using electronic transmission, our systems utilize some form of communications host. Depending on the installation, this may be a high-powered server or a stand-alone computer. Once collected, the results are accumulated and reports are produced. After the results are reviewed and approved for publishing, we may assist our clients in posting them to the client's web site, or distributing them to the media, to large meeting areas, and / or to a statewide reporting systems.

Q17: How do we know that the voter registration lists are up-to-date?

A: Voter registration lists tend to change daily. In each jurisdiction, the cut-off date for being included in the voter rolls varies. However, ES&S; systems all allow the Administrator to select the appropriate voter registration lists for inclusion in the election night reporting system, based on their legal requirements. The reporting systems utilize this data to calculate voter turnout and to support other analysis. Our Voter Registration applications aid jurisdictions in developing and maintaining the registrant database, identifying potential duplicates, automatically assigning new registrants to the proper election districts, printing voter ID cards, tracking and reassigning registrants as they move, and scanning and storing signatures to display on-screen, and / or print on rosters and reports for verification purposes.

Q18: If I am turned away because of erroneous registration lists, will I still be allowed to vote?

A: Procedures for handling this procedure vary in each jurisdiction according to state laws. ES&S; systems allow the Election Administrator to accommodate these laws in the appropriate fashion to provide the voter access to a ballot if permitted.

Q19: Are there safeguards in the ES&S; equipment that protect another person from voting for me?

A: Safeguards of this nature are largely the procedural protections that are the responsibility of the Election Administrator. However, the ES&S; solutions provide all of the necessary audit trails to ensure that only those ballots intended to be counted by the Election Administrator are in fact counted.

Q20: How do I know my personal voting information is secure?

A: Again, these sorts of protections are largely provided by the procedures of the election officials. However, all ES&S; systems are designed to operate within secure environments allowing the Election Administrators to utilize common network and computing security products and practices.

Q21: How does a registered voter learn to use the ES&S; equipment?

A: During the implementation of new systems, we work with our clients to support their voter education programs. Most of our clients agree that better prepared voters result in better elections. Normally, voter education includes live, in-person demonstrations allowing voters to interact with the new equipment prior to Election Day. Also radio, television, and radio advertisements are used to prepare the voters. On Election Day, poll workers will provide a demonstration on an actual or facsimile unit just before the voter will go to the booth. Our experience has shown that with only minimal exposure, most voters can easily use the ES&S; equipment due to its superior intuitive design.

Q22: How closely do you work with the election commission and its employees to guarantee that poll workers understand the new technology?

A: ES&S; believes adequate training of the election department staff, client technical staff, poll workers, and the voters is a crucial element for increasing satisfaction with our products and making the election process go as effectively as possible. Initial training is an important part of system implementation. In subsequent elections, refresher and recurring training is important. ES&S; develops a comprehensive training plan with our clients. Poll worker training is most often performed locally by our clients. Therefore, our normal focus is on content development and "train-the-trainer" sessions with client staff.

Q23: How do you protect against technical malfunction during the voting / tabulating process?

A: Elections are notoriously complex and unforgiving exercises. They are large-scale events where the technology is deployed for a short time at irregular intervals to interact with the general voting population who are typically only minimally familiar with their workings. To be prudent, we and our clients routinely prepare for technical problems and anticipate appropriate recovery plans. During the voting day, ES&S; systems continuously perform diagnostic self-checks to confirm that they are in proper working order. If a unit fails a test, the unit will cease operation and notify the poll worker. In preparation for this unlikely but possible event, our clients typically have back up voting equipment in reserve. The primary goal is to avoid any interruption at the polls for the voter.

All ES&S; systems are designed for quick problem diagnosis and recovery through replacement of equipment. Even in the case of a total hardware failure, results stored within the system are recoverable from memory by a technician within a secure environment. All our systems provide an audit trail allowing administrators the maximum capability in recovery.

Q24: How secure is the ES&S; system?

A: ES&S; systems are designed with strict security in mind, and all are capable of producing documentation to provide the required audit trails, checks and balances. In our long history, ES&S; has never had a security-related problem in any election. Apart from any client specific or state certification requirements, all ES&S; products are certified to meet or exceed the standards of the U.S. Federal Election Commission with respect to accuracy and security. This testing is performed by the Independent Testing Authorities designated by the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED), who are charged with oversight of this important regulatory area. In addition, many states also require additional certification of systems including consideration of security.

We view security as an essential element in any voting system. Our voting systems are build around proprietary technology that makes it virtually impossible for someone outside of the election organization to introduce unauthorized ballots or data into the tabulation system. When being transmitted, all data files are encrypted and validation checks are performed, each time data is read or written.

Election Reform

Q25: Will ES&S; systems avoid the registration, voting, and tabulating problems encountered in November 2000?

A: ES&S; already had the products in place to meet the post-November 2000 demands of election administrators, so the election's aftermath has not required any major re-tooling on our behalf.

Since the November 2000 election, we have worked with many jurisdictions across the U.S. to upgrade their voting systems. Many of these jurisdictions in Florida and several other states have already completed their implementations and enjoyed a very successful General Election on November 5, 2002. We continue to provide our Election Administrator clients with the latest tools and technology to avoid a repeat of past problems.

Registration – Our Voter Registration system can provide our clients with clear poll books to be used on Election Day with clear and up to date information to ensure that voters who are properly registered have access to the polls.

Voting – The iVotronic touch screen and Model 100 optical scan voting systems provide the voter a simple easy-to-use ballot and allows the voter to know immediately how their vote will be counted. There will be no more “hanging chads” to be interpreted by canvassing boards weeks after the election.

Tabulating – With the iVotronic touch screen and Model 100 optical scan voting systems the tabulation is all completed when the polls are closed. After that, the results simply need to be collected and published by the election administrators. After the canvassing and other administrative procedures are completed, the results are available for the public in a variety of media.

Q26: Do some election jurisdictions still use the punch card system criticized in the November 2000 election and why?

A: In the November 2000 General Election over 600 jurisdiction around the U.S. utilized punch card voting systems of one kind or another. While that election will encourage an accelerated replacement of punch card systems, we do expect them to continue to be in use for some time.

Q27: What is the status of the election reform movement prompted by the November 2000 Presidential election problems?

A: On Tuesday, October 29, 2002, President Bush signed the "Help America Vote Act of 2002" which provides $3.9 billion in Federal funding to states over the next three years to replace outdated punchcard and lever voting machines, and to improve voter education and poll worker training. The new law also requires the establishment of computerized, statewide voter databases to make it easier to register to vote and to detect/prevent voter fraud.

Q28: Will there eventually be on-line voting?

A: We conducted a comprehensive pilot of this form of voting over the Internet in the November 2000 General Election and are continuing to actively refinine Online Voting solutions through our Anywhere Voting Architecture. While many legal, institutional and other barriers to wide scale adoption still exist, we believe it will eventually arrive. Instead of totally replacing all other forms of voting in the short term, we believe on-line voting will start as a valuable alternative way to cast ballots, much like postal elections have evolved. We are focused on making on-line voting an integrated and seamless offering in all of the key election processes.