* *** COMMENTS_ON_PO_WEBSITE_2024-09-23 TXT - 23 Sep 2024 11:02:23 - JGKNAUTH Comments on Precinct Officials Website -------- -- -------- --------- ------- I have now read or viewed almost all the material (old and new) under the two Resources tabs on the PO website. Most of the comments below are on those sections. (I skipped the supply lists.) I had previously provided detailed comments on the Manual and QGs, so I will say nothing about those documents here. Although most of this is probably for the future, e.g., updating videos, I flagged with a "$" some items that should be looked at for the 11/5/24 election. I had made some of the comments below in prior emails over the years, but this will group them together and may serve as a "time capsule" to act in my stead when these areas are looked at in 2025. "Chief Judge Resources Tab" on PO Website ------ ----- --------- ---- -- -- ------- $1) The View Sample Ballots link under the CJ Resources tab still says "Coming Soon". However the Sample Ballots link DOES work on the Training Resources tab. $2) Are the Coordinator Zone Map and the Coordinator Zone Assignments files really still "Coming Soon"? $3) "Observer Guide" -- Bullet 7 of the first section indicates we must prevent Observers from photographing the Election Qualification Code (EQC) on the Tabulator tape. What is that? It was not covered in any CJ class I have attended and I haven't seen it mentioned in any BOE document other than in this bullet of the "Observer Guide". I assume it must be on the zero tape since the other tapes are like tape 4 and can be viewed by the public. If they want us to hide something from Observers, you need to make clear what it is. $4) In the CJ class I attended we were told there has been a change: Now "Observers can communicate with POs other then the CJ". It wasn't clear how they could do that without causing problems. At the class the consensus seemed to be that if an Observer tried to ask POs anything substantive, the CJ needed to get involved. That is certainly my feeling. The latest "Frequently Asked Questions" items in the Observers and Coordinator sections are in line with that direction. Anyway, the Observer Guide (v.2024.01) says nothing explicit about this change. Will there be an update for this Guide about this or any other changes that have occurred since last winter? I know this file is provided by the NCSBE. "Training Resources" Tab on PO Website --------- ---------- --- -- -- ------- 1) (Undated) "The Role of a Judge in the Polling Place" -- This no longer matches Manual page 17, "During the Day" section, which has been updated. 2) "Perfect Scenario Voter" -- You have seen and responded on my previous comments about the order of label attachment to the ATV vs photo ID checking. Details are linked to from my "Actions" webpage. Hopefully the order shown here will be revised in 2025 after the 11/5/24 experience. (Ditto on the related comment in the FAQ file.) 3) "Processing a Provisional" -- Shows the old version of the envelope, e.g., no checklist numbers. Someday the envelope will be further updated (like when a checkbox is added for photo ID checking). Then this video should be updated to use the latest envelope. 4) "At-Home Provisional Exercises - Answer Sheet" -- typo on last page was previously reported: Official's Name field filled in by voter. 5) "Curbside Voting 2024" -- As previously commented on, delete the first part (about 26 seconds) of the video. 6) "Outdoor Sign Placement" -- Previously reported: Improper use of scotch tape to attach signs to glass doors. 7) "Opening and Closing the Polls" -- Someday I hope this video (especially the closing part) can be expanded to show more of what the CJPG now documents. 8) "Emptying the Counted Ballots Bin" -- The video procedures look right, but an unrealistic number of ballots is shown. For an average size precinct with (maybe many) hundreds of ballots, finding the ExpressVotes will be a lot more difficult and more time consuming than what is shown here. I'm glad you added the section about using the special button to find the number of ExpressVotes cast since the polls opened. However you called it the "Hourglass button". Why? It certainly does not look like an hourglass in this video or on any Tabulator I have seen. Why not call it something like the "Ballot Counts" button? I'm assuming ES&S didn't provide a name for the button; however any name they came up with would probably not be too good, given the names they gave the counts displayed in the popup. =>$ See my suggested CJPG errata page (linked to on my website's "Actions" page) for details of what I think should be published for the 11/5/24 election in "Late Breaking News" or wherever. 9) "Voter Assistance Marking a Ballot" -- Still references the Automark instead of ExpressVote. As I have said in previous comments, there should be a video about how a voter actually uses the Expressvote. Currently there are only videos for setting it up, taking it down, and how a PO uses the back-of-the-ballot data to get things started. There is no video showing all the things a voter can do to actually vote: navigate, magnify, adjust sound, adjust contrast, make a selection, revise the selection, review all selections, print the ballot, etc. There should also be a brief hardcopy information sheet packed with the ExpressVote, listing things the PO can suggest to the voter if the voter appears to need assistance. 10) "Tabulator Error Messages" -- As I have previously commented, it is very bad to tell the voter that they should watch for the public count to increase to see if their vote has been counted. Instead they should just watch for the display: "Thank you for voting. Your ballot has been counted." I had given detailed reasons in my prior comments and noted a problem we had once experienced with a voter trying to use the "watch for the count to change" technique. 11) "Standing Too Close to the Tabulator" -- See the above comment about telling the voter to use the public count increase to see if their vote was counted. 12) "Conduct at the Polls" -- This file should be in the list of linked documents. Home Tab ---- --- 1) "Wake Up with Wake Elections Season 5 FAQs" -- Many of these items seem to be obsolete. Has anyone on the Staff gone thru this file recently? If it is not meant to be kept accurate and relevant to the current election, why still link to it on this website. At least say it is here just for historical reasons. $2) "Frequently Asked Questions" -- In contrast, I'm assuming this file is meant to be accurate for the 11/5/24 election and people should be encouraged to read it. There definitely should be change dates to flag any items that get changed; otherwise that discourages people from reading it. Who wants to have to plow thru the whole thing periodically to try to figure out what might have changed, if anything? CJ Class (an orphan comment, but I hadn't made it anywhere else) -- ----- 1) Why is no hardcopy HTQG given to the CJs in the CJ class? We are given copies of all the other documents. I believe the two HTQG flowcharts are mentioned in the class. You properly encourage CJs to learn about the HT, e.g., go to HT class if possible. Yet not providing an HTQG in the CJ class seems contrary to that direction. I know you will provide an HTQG in the CJ Binder at weekend supply pickup, along with another copy of all the other QGs. However that seems much too late. Prior to that the CJ would have to print the HTQG from the PO website to have an approximate version of the real thing. Jeff