Testing Voting Equipment

Information updated for new voting equipment - please review!

Preliminary equipment testing should begin soon. Local Election Commissions are responsible for conducting accuracy tests in accordance with the procedures established by the Secretary of State. (MCL 168.794a(3), 798.) We continue to  discover in some post-election audits that key components of the testing process are incomplete.

Ensure you are following proper testing procedures by reviewing the Test Procedures Manual. This manual has been updated for new voting equipment.  If you are still using the AutoMARK, review the separate AutoMARK Testing Manual for those instructions and the AutoMARK Preparation Checklist and Test Certification Form.

In addition, courses are available in the eLearning Center, including the Non-Partisan Election with Proposal Ballot Logic & Accuracy Testing - Creating a Test Deck  and for a single question ballot - Creating a Test Deck for a Special Proposal Ballot.  These courses will walk you through creating a test deck in about 10 minutes and the special proposal ballot course provides the chart of predetermined results.  Another helpful course is Preparing for and Conducting the Preliminary & Public Accuracy Test.

Documenting the Process:  Remember, testing materials must be kept under seal and the seal numbers must be recorded. Use the Tabulator Program & Security Certification form and the VAT Testing & Security Certification Form to aid in properly documenting this process. These forms are often misplaced when they are reviewed at post-election audits.  Promulgated Rule requires this form to be sealed into the testing container and BOE recommends keeping an additional copy on file in the office.

The Public Accuracy test must be conducted by the Election Commission no later than Thursday, August 3, 2017. The meeting must be posted and held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

Important Notice to Jurisdictions Using 3rd Party Vendors for Testing:  If you are using the same vendor that programmed the county’s memory cards to prepare the test deck and/or conduct the actual testing, the Election Commission must also complete the Election Commission Certification Form. Designating a single vendor to create and then test the performance of memory cards they programmed removes critical checks and balances from the logic and accuracy testing process.

The integrity of the testing process may come into question if one party is responsible for both developing and testing the accuracy of the program.

It is the duty of the Election Commission to ensure that the testing process complies with applicable laws, is meticulous, and yields reliable results. Even though various election processes involve vendors, clerks remain solely and completely responsible for the proper conduct of the election - not the vendor. The Bureau has taken steps to reinforce these concepts in Election Cycle training sessions and to provide clerks with the necessary tools to perform their duties, with or without relying on the assistance of vendors.

The Election Commission Certification Form is required at the completion of Public Accuracy testing. This addendum will include additional certification statements which must be signed by the clerk and each member of the Election Commission after the completion of the Public Accuracy test. The purpose of the form is to obtain the officials’ certification that they are fully exercising an oversight role and are personally verifying that the testing process complies with Bureau procedures.

Note: A vendor is not an authorized assistant within the meaning of the Election Law or corresponding administrative rules.

The certifications that the Election Commission members must complete include verification that they have:

• Examined the test deck chart created by the vendor and have verified that it was prepared in compliance with the procedures outlined in the Test Procedures Manual.
• Reviewed the results generated by the tabulator, compared them with the predetermined totals from the test deck chart prepared by the vendor, and confirmed that the totals are an exact match.
• Successfully completed an errorless test.
• Performed the Public Accuracy test on equipment that is owned by the jurisdiction and will be used on Election Day.

NOTE: Jurisdictions that are unsure whether their vendor has also completed the programming for the county’s tabulator memory cards must contact the County Clerk for clarification.