California's Secretary of State Announces Electronic Voting Directives

California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley announced Friday that beginning July 1, 2005, no county or city may purchase a touch-screen voting system that does not include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). As of July 2006, all touch-screen voting systems used in California, regardless of when they were purchased, must have a VVPAT that can be used by all voters, including the visually impaired, to verify that their preferences are accurately recorded.

In making the announcement, Shelley said that a transition period is necessary in order to assure the fair and efficient conduct of elections in California. "The schedule I have set forth for implementing a VVPAT will ensure that there is adequate time for new voting systems to be properly certified. This also allows time to train elections officials and poll workers and to educate voters," he said.

To further enhance voter confidence in new technologies, Secretary Shelley is adopting voting system reforms and new electronic certification procedures. Shelley will also call upon the federal government to substantially improve its testing process. "As the state progresses with new technology, all Californians must have confidence that every vote cast is a vote counted," said Shelley. "These new requirements will provide this confidence."

In addition to providing for a VVPAT, Shelley's reforms call for additional requirements for software testing and auditing, new security protocols for manufacturers, random field testing on election day to ensure proper performance of individual voting machines, and the creation of a state Technical Oversight Committee. In February 2003, Shelley convened an Ad Hoc Touch Screen Task Force composed of computer experts, members of the public, and representatives of the disabled community and election officials to make recommendations to increase the security of voting equipment software. The task force issued a series of recommendations for Shelley's consideration.

A complete copy of Shelley's directives and the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Touch Screen Task Force are available on the Secretary of State's Web site.