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5 Life-Cycle and Training Issues
Pages 96-105

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From page 96...
... 5 Life-Cycle and Training Issues 5.1 THE LIFE CYCLE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS The initial decision to procure an information technology (IT) system is only one dimension of the life cycle of that system.
From page 97...
... For example: · Extra work by employees with high-tech skills may be required to support elections staff or poll workers in the field. · Necessary security measures and security audits may well in crease costs.
From page 98...
... must have assurances that a vendor will be able to support those systems for an extended period of time. (Historically, voting machines have had lifetimes measured in decades, but it is likely that any information technology system will be obsolescent and thus hard to support and maintain in much shorter time frames.
From page 99...
... Outright purchase of an integrated electronic voting system is only one procurement model. Two other models are leasing rather than buying the system and purchasing election services rather than owning and operating voting machines.
From page 100...
... , · Turning on the individual voting stations being used before the polls open, · Resolving problems with voting stations if such problems arise during polling hours, · Checking voter registration and acting as gatekeeper for voter access to individual voting stations, · Answering any questions that voters may have about the me chanics of voting, and
From page 101...
... For example, a voting station may need to be rebooted after it suffers a system crash, and a poll worker may be the only one available to do so promptly. A useful benchmark might be a comparison with the training required for poll workers prior to the introduction of electronic voting.
From page 102...
... On Election Day, we had to arrive by 6:00 a.m. and were not permitted to leave the premises at all until the election was completed.
From page 103...
... LIFE-CYCLE AND TRAINING ISSUES 103 times single individuals tried (improperly) to keep lines moving while substitutes were juggled.
From page 104...
... Almost independently of the training that a poll worker receives, it is virtually assured that some poll workers will encounter unanticipated problems during Election Day. Thus, some mechanism must be available to provide poll workers with assistance on a timescale that does not significantly interfere with the voting process.
From page 105...
... 5-11. How can local election officials attract and ensure an adequate base of volunteers who can cope with the challenges of new electronic voting systems?


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