I made a detailed post at dkos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/28/171646/44 and thought you guys might want to read it:
Generally I have seen some cheap points being scored here about Venezuelan elections, normally they mention that we use electronic voting without any details hoping to ensnare those that against black box voting. But they omit tons of details that ensure that our elections are IMHO the best run elections in the world. I recently helped write an article in wikipedia about the 2006 Venezuelan presidential election There are tons of details over there amd I recommend reading it, but I will stick to the issue at hand after the break...
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Generally I have seen some cheap points being scored here at dailykos about Venezuelan elections, normally they mention that we use electronic voting without any details hoping to ensnare those that against black box voting. But they omit tons of details that ensure that our elections are IMHO the best run elections in the world. I recently helped write an article in wikipedia about the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election%2C_2006 There are tons of details over there amd I recommend reading it, but I will stick to the issue at hand after the break...
Paper ballots
All machines are standardized (smartmatic machines) and they ALL print paper ballots, inspected and deposited in a box by voters, which are later used to to audit 54% of all machines. This is done by law whether the margin be 20 points or 500 votes. Saving the loser the embarrasment of calling for a recount. An audit is also better than a recount because every single deviation (even by one vote) is noted and scrutinized, rather than having a recount erase the first count.
Complete transperancy
Every single vote audit is observed by well trained citizens (give credit to the opposition for that) but also international observers including the EU, OAS, Mercosur, and Carter Center. Also all machines are audited beforehand by specialized technitians on all sides.
Results in less than a day
How many elections are still up for grabs from the midterms? obviously the most important advantage of electronic voting is precise results no longer than a few hours, the only thing that takes time after polls close are the inmediate audits.
Full audits after the election
Granted with less oversight, every single detail is audited months after the election.
Here is what I wrote in wikipedia that is more detalied.
Electoral Audits
Even though international observers are present the CNE instituted an open and public series of audits of the vote results. Each electoral center will likely be equiped with multiple touch screen machines each defined as a voting table, after the vote is cast each machine prints out a paper ballot which is inspected by the voter and deposited in a paper ballot box of his table. The machines are disconnected from any network until the polls close.<22>
Tally scrutinization
After the polls close the following event performed step by step.
* Polls closed
* Tally scrutinization announced
* Each machine prints an original tally sheet, each has a voter total and the number of votes cast for each candidate of that particular machine/table.
* Each machine is connected to the network and the results are sent to the vote counting center
* 9 extra tally sheets are printed and distributed to staff and the six representatives of the candidates that recieved the most votes.
* With the original tally sheet in hand the total number of votes cast is compared to the sign up sheet or electoral notebook, finally the electoral ballots are counted one by one to see if they add up to the total. Any anamoly is mentioned in the tally sheet report, signed by staff and auditors. Which is then sealed and given to the military for delivery to the CNE.
Source CNE<22>
Random paper ballot audit
Once the tally scrutinization is complete the staff proceeds to perform the random paper ballot audit of 54.31% of the machines. Each voting center can have anywhere from 1 voting machine to more than 10, the staff randomly selects the tables/machines drawing a number out of a paper hat, the size of the draw is dependant on the number of tables/machines.
Number of Machines Number of Machines to be Audited Total Machines audited
1 to 2 1 5,795
3 to 5 2 6,002
6 to 8 3 4,011
9 to 10 4 980
More than 10 5 770
Source CNE<22>
Audited Total Machine Universe Percentage audited
17,558 32,331 54.31%
Source CNE<22>
The following procedure occurs step by step
* Polls closed
* Tally scrutinization finishes
* Random paper ballot audit announced
* The machines are randomly selected drawing numbers out of a paper hat
* The machine's serial number is recorded
* The corresponding paper ballot box is selected and opened
* The paper ballots results for each candidate are openly counted
* With the original tally printed from the electronic results, both results are audited
* Any anomaly (even if by one vote) is recorded in the audit report
* The origninal audit report is signed by staff and observers, officially sealed and handed to the military for delivery to the CNE
* Copies are handed over to the representatives of the two highest vote getters.
Source CNE<22>
The whole source is this file from the Consejo Nacional Electoral If you can read spanish there are tons more details there.
Here are also a few pictures from national newspapers
Hat tip to
http://oilwars.blogspot.com/PS Sequoia is not Smartmatic, The later owns the former but it was a recent acquisition, I don't know what system Sequoia uses.
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