Logic and accuracy test of Pinal County touch screen machines goes well

Last week members of the Secretary of State’s Office started their Logic and Accuracy (L and A) test of the new touch screen voting machines. “Let the games begin,” announced Pinal County Elections Director Gilbert Hoyos.

While this isn’t the first time a L and A test has taken place in Pinal County, it is the debut of the new touch screen voting machines to be used by voters who are visually impaired and disabled.

The Secretary of State’s office performs the L and A test to insure the accuracy of the voting machines to be used in the upcoming election. The testers usually arrive with pre-voted ballots in hand and insert them into the scanning equipment, then count the vote to make sure the count comes out correctly.

Although the basic nature of the L and A has stayed the same, the method of the test has changed a bit with the new touch screen devices. This time the four members of the Secretary of State’s office came in, fingers at the ready, to push predetermined candidates in various precincts to see if the equipment would keep contenders, political parties and precincts in the correct positions for the upcoming primary election.

Secretary of State office members (from left) Kris Waite, Craig Stender, Bill Maaske and Kenny Matta perform a logic and accuracy test of Pinal County’s new touch screen voting machines.

After the test, Hoyos held up a signed certificate from the testers that testified the equipment worked perfectly. “We passed,” Hoyos said with a grin.

Representatives from both the Democratic and Republican parties were on hand to witness the L and A test. Both were given a demonstration on how the equipment operates in an election.

Just like voters will do on September 12, testers inserted a voter access card and placed their votes in the machine. Once their votes were placed, the touch screen machine kicked out the access card. Each voting session lasted less than two minutes.

Holding up a voter access card, Hoyos explained the card will be programmed to recognize the precinct in which the machine is located and the party for which the voter is registered. Once the card is inserted in the machine, the candidates for that precinct and party will appear on the screen for the primary election. The touch screen machines will have their memory chips loaded with all precincts, candidates and parties from across the county. If the voter is visually impaired, the machine has the capability to read the ballot (in English and Spanish) to the elector.

Hoyos had the task of listening to each of the precincts being read off by the machine. “It took two days,” he said.

Kris Waite, Assistant State Elections Director, explained that all Arizona counties now have the touch screen machines in accordance to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). “It signifies a new era for the visually impaired and disabled voter,” Waite said. “It allows them to vote both independently and privately.”

(Courtesy of Pinal County Elections Department)