Discussion of ERC Report FINAL, hopefully not Insults

[Paul E Condon <pecondon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

So what about the Content of the report? It seems to me that
Hart Intercivic came off rather badly. This is good.
But there are other issues. The committee likes the idea of
having ballot scanners in every precinct and/or voting center.
In principal this is a good idea, but how will the precinct
judges be trained to keep them working? My experience with
being trained by County staff is that it is really totally
crazy training. On the one hand a bunch of senior citizens
are told 'Don't worry, its easy, just do what the instructions
say.' and on the other hand they can't answer any questions
about the exact meaning of the instructions. Where will 
competant instructors come from?

Hart has established that they cannot be believed in almost
anything they say. So how can the County rely on them to
service the equipment? To make modifications to the software?
etc. 

My reading of the thumbnail sketch of scanners in the precinct
is that they are somehow mechanical joined to a ballot box so
that when the voter presses an OK-button the voted ballot is
dropped into the ballot box. This will take some engineering
development. By Hart? Really, is this a smart idea?

I wonder about the feasibility of renting equipment for 
the conduct of elections. From whom? What will the person/
company that offers to rent to the County be doing with
the equipment before and after the election? This is rather
specialize equipment, not party tables and chairs, or 
small cement mixers or garden tractors. Are there really
local firms who rent what is needed?

Just some thoughts. What do others think?
-- 
Paul E Condon           
pecondon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx