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# RE: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?

- To: support@gesn.com
- Subject: RE: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?
- From: Robert Chen <chenrob@pacbell.net>
- Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 10:16:31 -0700
- Importance: Normal
- In-reply-to: <007101c213c3$0c682ee0$0203a8c0@desktop>

Lesley, VIBS proofing.
I believe the proper way to proof VIBS is to create a composite ballot and go through the VIBS with the visual ballot to verify that the text and audio match. This should be done after you have proofed the GEMS database for optical scan, rotation, etc., and should be done after you have proofed the AVTS ballot. Create the composite by putting all the races in the Jurisdiction wide district. This will create one massive ballot style for each voter group. Because GEMS stores the information one time and AVTS builds the ballot the same way for VIBS hidden as it does for VIBS unhide the ballot, proofing the ballot in this manner is going to check both forms.
When you proofing you should only be looking for the following (because you have already proofed everything else):
1) when VIBS hi-lights a race/header/candidate, does this match the audio? - it is possible that the wrong audio file as placed in the race/header/candidate position
2) is the audio pronounciation of the text/candidate correct? - often candidate names are the most difficult to pronounce correctly
3) does the measure text read properly? - it is important to note that measure text has usually gone through an exhaustive legal review. Thus it is important to make sure the audio matches this exactly. Because of the length of the measure, it is often possible for the reader (the person transcribing the ballot to audio) makes a mistake in reading the measure (i.e. misses a word, usually an article, or gets the plural and singular form mixed, etc.).
Ken,
Of couse this has nothing to do with encoding which was the original question. My initial thought would be to have the spyrus work like VC Programmer where there are 2 levels to the VIBS option: first you type in "V" to activate VIBS and then you get a choice for hidden/not hidden ballot. My experience is that you get a variety (especially in Berkeley) of disabilities when you have blind people; many of them have additional disabilities so some may prefer hidden, others not hidden.
rob chen
p.s. Lesley, I went through this in detail with Johnson County earlier this week.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-support@gesn.com [mailto:owner-support@gesn.com]On Behalf Of Steve Knecht
> Sent: Friday, June 14, 2002 9:47 AM
> To: support@gesn.com
> Subject: Re: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?
> Whoa! It is one thing to record races and candidates, a WHOLE other thing to record all precinct numbers (thousands) and get all the numbers right. I would NOT want this as standard anyway. If it is an option for smaller counties, that would be fine, but I can't imagine this being too useful to voters, and it would be administratively pretty burdonsome for larger counties, unless it was a "one time" recording thing that could be stored on the system and pulled as needed by GEMS.

> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Lesley Thompson
> > To: support@gesn.com
> > Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 7:55 PM
> > Subject: Re: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?
> > Speaking of Hidden VIBS ballots, is the precinct/ballot style spoken at the beginning of the VIBS audio ballot similar to the way that info is displayed in the initial screen after the voter access card has been loaded into the AVTS? This display has been a second check that the correct ballot has indeed been encoded on the voter access card and that the voter has the correct ballot. Do we have this double check on the audio for the HiddenVIBS ballot?
> > Lesley

> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Ken Clark
> > > To: support@gesn.com
> > > Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 9:46 PM
> > > Subject: RE: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?

> > > It is the “expected” behavior. But presumably not the behavior you want.

> > > There are two VIBS modes, one that hides the ballot, and one that doesn’t. You control it on the Ballot Station and PCC with the “hide ballot” checkbox. The Voter Card Encoder (Spyrus) only creates the cards that don’t hide the ballot – there is no analogous checkbox to hide the ballot.

> > > It would be pretty easy to change the software to have an “H” option, in addition to “V” and “M”. H would mean a hidden VIBS ballot. I thought about it at the time V was added, but was (and am) worried that the number of flags was getting out of hand. Also, that H gives you a VIBS ballot didn’t strike me as very obvious. The other possibility is to have a setup parameter as part of the Supervisor mode which dictates whether VIBS ballots are hidden or not. After it is set up, all subsequent uses of V are either hidden or not, depending.

> > > Do you have any thoughts/suggestions on the matter? The H thing is a little easier to implement, but not by much. If we do the option thing, what should be the default? Do more people want the VIBS ballot hidden, or visible?

> > > Ken

> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-support@gesn.com [mailto:owner-support@gesn.com] On Behalf Of Mark S Earley
> > > Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 5:25 PM
> > > To: Support
> > > Subject: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?

> > > During GA Training today, created a VIBS Voter Card by using the * method on the Encoder. Inserted into machine in Election Mode and heard audio ballot but screen was not hidden. Did not have a keyboard or headphone attached – none available.

> > > Is this the expected behavior? Did I leave out a step to make the screen go blank while voting the audio ballot? Possibly programmed Encoder improperly?

> > > Mark Earley

> > > 850 422-2100 - office/fax

> > > 850 322-3226 - cell

- Follow-Ups:
  - VIBS "hidden screen" proofing & ballot cancelling in the vote center on election day
    - From: "Lesley Thompson" <lesleytdiebold@earthlink.net>

- References:
  - Re: VIBS Voter Card Encoding Problem?
    - From: "Steve Knecht" <stevek@gesn.com>

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