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Dear Support Group (feels like the beginning of a
therapy session!!!):
I have just learned that the delivery of the
Advanced Voting AVOS Ballots for Johnson County's August 6th Primary Election
has met with delays. I realize that the constraints surrounding the
Johnson County, Kansas Primary Election have been and continue to be challenging
at best.
I know that Spectrum is fully aware of the unmovable
deadlines facing this client with the Advanced Voting By Mail ballots to be
mailed on Tuesday by statute, and Advanced Voting In Person voting sites opening
on Wednesday. I have been of the understanding that Spectrum and
Johnson County have been operating off of a printing and delivery schedule that
will accommodate these constraints. Now I understand that all the
ballots printed on Thursday and due to be delivered in Johnson County today,
Saturday, were not delivered today. Furthermore, all ballots printed
yesterday, Friday, are also in transit and are not due to arrive in Johnson
County as scheduled. These delays are affecting the critical path of
Johnson County's August 6th Primary Election
administration.
I am requesting assistance from the DESI support
division to help me think through some options so I can work with Johnson
County on ways to mitigate these unfortunate
circumstances.
First of all, this election is a primary election with three
parties and 403 precincts. The Democratic and Republican ballots include
Precinct Committee people so each precinct has a different style. The
Non-Partisan ballot only have a few races but with rotation and a city
election, ends up with 12 ballot styles. So, formats = 818 and precinct
ballots = 1209.
1) JoCo is set up for BOD centrally so one option
may be to set up a networked printer at the two auxiliary sites to send print
jobs to print provisional paper ballots that are needed. This would keep
the file selection central. If networked printers are not an option then
could set up full computer system with all PS files and put an operator at each
location.
2) Could resort to paper paper ballot and hand count the
first few days of provisional ballots or remake them onto AVOS stock when
available. JoCo could have the proof deck duplicated and made available
for the poll supervisor to "copy" the appropriate ballot if there is a copier
available at these sites.
3) If ballots are available centrally, could make "hot shot"
deliveries on an as needed basis.
4) Another thought is to suggest that we enlist the provisional
ballot option on the AVTS unit, but I seem to remember some questions about its
operation. Is anyone using this option and is it working in BS
4.1.11? It is not approved in Kansas, but under the circumstances and the
fact that we are only talking about 40-50 voters, JoCo could probably get the
SOS to approve it conditionally.
Well guys and gals, let me know what you think and if you have any
other creative options to suggest. I want to run this all by the group
before I present to the client. Thanks for any help you can
provide.
Lesley
Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2002 4:33 PM
Subject: RE: Ballot Printing and Delivery Issues
FROM
JOHNSON COUNTY: Brian (Spectrum) tells us that he believes that we
may have all of the folded ballots by Tuesday, but that the
flat will most likely not all be here by Wednesday and it didn't sound like he
could guarantee even a Thursday delivery - our big challenge is the expected
high voter turnout for this election and the fact that early voting has been
delayed one week - this means that we could be "hit" by a large number of voters
at all three locations on Wednesday - if we can get all of the flat delivered by
early Wednesday morning - the two external satellite sites don't open until
11:00 a.m. - it would be calling it "too close for comfort", but we could get
them there before they open. The Election Office site can rely on the
folded ballots on site - if we have enough of those.
It is
extremely difficult to estimate voter turnout by early voting location - maximum
would probably be 1,000 voters at each site during Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday of next week for a total of 3,000 per day. My guess is that of that
number 40-50 could be provisionals (name and/or address
changes).
Hope
this helps..................this is an incredible election!
Connie
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