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# Re: Open Primary Option in Gems for AVTS

- To: <support@gesn.com>
- Subject: Re: Open Primary Option in Gems for AVTS
- From: "Steve Knecht" <skglobal@earthlink.net>
- Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 09:20:36 -0800
- References: <002201c0911b$e2b39ba0$0903a8c0@Jeff>

************************ IMPORTANT *****************************
OK, I've read Jeff's thread, and I've now called Tulare, Marin, and Alameda to discuss Jeff's "open primary" method. [Jeff - was your open primary scenario for a specific state besides California??] This may be the case for some states, (voter choosing their party), BUT it is not the case in California for several reasons I'll try and explain:

- first, california is not a pure open primary (anymore - they are half pregnant on this issue). In March 2002, voters will be either registered in a party or they will be a "non-partisan/decline to state".
- If they are registered in party they will get a party ballot with only that parties candidates for the primary (not a the "classic" version of open primary) plus all statewide measures etc.
- If they are registered as a "decline to state / non-partisan" they can, when they come to the counter or the precinct, ask for a party ballot (today only democrats will allow the following, but republicans are considering it as well) BUT that parties ballot WILL NOT have the party CENTRAL COMMITTEE race on it, but will have all the other races specific to that party on the ballot.
- I believe this can be handled by ADDING a "DEMOCRAT/DECLINE TO STATE" party into our voter group table. That style would not have CENTRAL COMMITTEE on it. This becomes a 9th party. If the Republicans allow the "non-partisan/decline to state" voter to particiapte, that becomes a 10th party in the voter group table, etc. (This is why device is needed that allows more than 9 parties to burn cards in precinct).
- In summary, the California Open Primary for March 2002 WILL NOT allow the voter to select their own party ballot, that will be done by the pollworker or the counter admin person in early voting. I believe the best way to handle the decline to state voter that chooses to vote the democratic party ballot without the central committee race is to setup a Dem/Decline voter group (same for any other party that allows this).

Ken, given the above (and I assume there will be more discussion on this) I don't believe further programming is required FOR CALIFORNIA, however, JEFF H. may still require the open primary scenario he is describing for another state.
Hope I haven't confused things more here.

- ----- Original Message -----

> From: Jeff Hintz
> To: support@gesn.com
> Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2001 7:37 AM
> Subject: RE: Open Primary Option in Gems for AVTS
> In the case of an Open Primary using the AVTS system, a poll worker gives a voter a smart card with the correct ballot style, but after the voter inserts their smart card into the AVTS system, the AVTS system will prompt the voter to select which Party they wish to vote. Similiar to choosing the language. This needs to be implemented into the software for the AVTS system.

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-support@gesn.com [mailto:owner-support@gesn.com]On Behalf Of Steve Knecht
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 12:43 PM
> > To: support@gesn.com
> > Subject: Re: Open Primary Option in Gems for AVTS
> > Jeff, I've seen open primary with differing versions. Some where all voters vote same ballot, others like the "shadow" vote of California primary last year where they were the same ballot info, but ballots were by party. In either case, the pollworker would hand the voter a ballot. Wouldn't the pollworker select the ballot type?

> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Jeff Hintz
> > > To: Support Team (E-mail)
> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 11:19 AM
> > > Subject: Open Primary Option in Gems for AVTS
> > > Do we have an Open Primary Option in Gems so that we can program the AVTS unit to come up with the option of choosing the party that the voter wishes to vote???
> > > Jeff Hintz
> > > Global Election Systems

- References:
  - RE: Open Primary Option in Gems for AVTS
    - From: "Jeff Hintz" <jhglobal@earthlink.net>

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