1. An Overview of Montgomery County’s New Voting System
I am NAME, and I am a volunteer with the Montgomery County Election Office.
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss an historic project that will affect every registered voter in Montgomery County. Montgomery County is in the process of replacing our 15-year-old central-count, optical scan system with a state-of-the art voting system.
Today, I want to share with you the reasons behind that decision, tell you about the new system, and describe to you what you can expect over the next few months leading up to the first use of the the voting system.

2. Welcome to eSlate!
This is the eSlate. It is the system that will be used for voting in Montgomery County beginning with Early Voting for the Primary Election in Early voting will begin on February 21, 2006 for that election. Election Day will be March 7, To use eSlate, voters do not have to know anything about computers. The eSlate system is really more of an appliance – an easy-to-use voting appliance.
I have brought an eSlate unit with me today, and you will have an opportunity to try it out.
OR, IF SPEAKER HAS NOT BROUGHT A DEMO UNIT:
I have brought with me today a short video tape that shows how the system is used, and I will play that in just a minute.

3. Why a New Voting System? Our old system has performed well, but…
it doesn’t meet the all the requirements of the Help America Vote Act passed in 2002, and
it doesn’t meet Americans with Disability Act or the Texas Secretary of State requirements.
We started researching new systems about a year ago.
In order to comply with Help America Vote Act, the ADA, and a law passed in Texas in the mid-90’s that required all new voting systems to be fully accessible to all voters, including those with physical challenges, we will discontinue use of our central-count, optical scan system and have purchased a system that complies with these laws. The eSlate System complies with all these laws.

4. Why eSlate?
Election staff and 10-member, diverse, Election Equipment Task Force reviewed many different systems over a 2 month period and chose eSlate because it is:
Easy for voters
Easy for pollworkers
Accurate
Secure
Durable
Because a change in voting systems was needed, the Montgomery County Election Administrator, Carol Gaultney started the search process about a year ago. During that time, Election staff and a 10-member,diverse Voting Equipment Task Force, appointed by the Commissioners Court reviewed many voting systems certified for use in Texas..
The system that Montgomery County has purchased is called the eSlate System. The system was designed by an Austin-based company, Hart InterCivic, and the equipment is built in Fort Bend County in Sugar Land. Hart InterCivic is providing a team that delivers and installs the equipment, and will train the election and IT staff, and all poll workers, and is assisting with our voter education and outreach program.
A voting system must assure several things, including:
Unobstructed access and ease-of-use – the assurance that the system will be easy to use for anyone, ensuring all citizens their right to vote.
Absolute accuracy – the assurance that the final tallies reflect the cumulative will of the people;
Uncompromised privacy and security – the assurance that voters can cast their ballot without fear of disclosure or reprisal, knowing their votes will count as intended; and
Ruggedness and durability – Reliable systems must continue to function even with rough use over time.
The County and the Task Force know that this system meets these tests.

5. What Will You See at the Polling Place?
When you arrive to vote, you will sign in as always.
You’ll see new voting booths.
The election judge will give you a four- digit “Access Code.”
What will you see when you come to the polling place?
When you come to vote, things won’t look a whole lot different.
When you arrive to vote, you will sign in as always
The Election Judge will then give you a 4 digit “Access Code.”
The number tells the system the right ballot for your precinct. In elections, ballots may be different from polling place to polling place. Sometimes even the same polling place has different ballots, depending on the precincts it serves.
The Access Code is not tied to your vote; eSlate’s database does not include any individual voter information.

6. What’s Different About Voting?
eSlates will be in voting booths.
You may choose any open booth.
While there will still be a voting booth, it will look a little different and inside the booth will be the new eSlate device. You may choose any open booth. Each polling place will also have an ADA compliant booth for voters using wheelchairs or preferring to pull up a chair to sit while voting.
The eSlate you use to cast your ballot is about the size of a legal pad, about one inch thick, and weighs just 5.2 pounds.
When necessary, it can easily be carried to the curb for curbside voting.

7. The Buttons Turn the SELECT wheel to highlight your choices.
Press ENTER to vote for a selected choice.
Use the CAST BALLOT button to cast your ballot.
Use PREV to go to the previous page.
Use NEXT to go to the next page.
You use a wheel to navigate through the ballot and select your vote.
Turn the SELECT wheel to highlight your choices. After you have selected your choice, press ENTER to vote for your selected choice.
Use the arrow shaped buttons to move back and forth through the pages of the ballot. The PREV, or previous, arrow button will take you to the previous page.
Use NEXT to go to the next page.
When you have finished voting on all contests and have carefully reviewed the Ballot Summary Page, use the CAST BALLOT button to cast your ballot.
And, at any time, press HELP to get help. When you press help once, instructions will be displayed on the machine. If you press HELP twice, an election worker will come to assist you.
Press HELP to get help.

8. Select Your Language
Turn the SELECT wheel until the language you want is highlighted in red.
Press ENTER to make your selection.
English
Español
With those simple controls in mind, let me now walk you through voting on the eSlate system.
(NOTE TO SPEAKERS: If it is convenient, you may want to have the eSlate with you at this point to illustrate the demo.)
Using the wheel, you, the voter, select a language – English or Spanish.

9. Enter Your Access Code
ACCESS CODE
Código de accesso
4192
Date:
Time: 15:42:21
Place: Mesa Elementary
Turn the SELECT wheel to highlight the first number of your Access Code.
Press ENTER to choose that number.
3. Repeat for all numbers of your Access Code.
4. When the last digit in your code has been entered, you will see the first page of your ballot.
Next, you are asked to enter the four-digit code the poll worker gave you when you checked-in at the voting site. Again, the code tells the system which ballot to present to you; the code does NOT identify you in any way and cannot be linked to your vote.
Turn the SELECT wheel to highlight the first number of your Access Code.
Press ENTER to choose that number.
Repeat for all numbers of your Access Code.
When the last number in your code has been entered, you will see the first page of your ballot.

10. Make Ballot Choices
Turn the SELECT wheel until your choice is highlighted in blue.
Press ENTER. The box to the left of your choice will turn red to show your vote.
The blue highlight bar will move to the next contest title.
Continue through the ballot until you have voted all the contests you wish to vote.
You may use the PREV or NEXT buttons at any time to move through the ballot.
Alexander Hamilton
Abraham Lincoln
Council Member
Alexander Hamilton
Abraham Lincoln
Council Member
The ballot then appears on the color screen, and you to use the wheel to move a highlight bar through the ballot. Once you move the highlight bar onto your desired choice, simply press the large button marked ENTER, and the selection is registered.
That choice turns bold, and all the other choices fade into the background, so you have a strong visual signal of your vote.
If you make a mistake or change your mind, you have to do is to change the selection – the system won’t let you cast too many votes in a race.

11. How to Do a Write-in Candidate
If you want to write-in a candidate, simply turn the wheel to “write-in” and press ENTER. This screen will appear. Turn the wheel, highlighting each letter of your candidate’s name in red, pressing ENTER for each letter. To add a space between the candidate’s first and last name, turn the wheel to highlight the word “space” in red and press the ENTER button. To make a correction, turn to highlight the word “clear last” in red and press ENTER until the correction is made. When you’ve finished spelling the name, turn the wheel to highlight the word “accept” and you’ll be automatically returned to the ballot where you’ll see your candidate selected.

12. Review Your Ballot
After you have voted all the pages of the ballot, a Ballot Summary page appears, allowing you to review your selections.
To change your vote, turn the SELECT wheel until the contest you want to change is highlighted, then press ENTER. You will return to that contest.
You may use the PREV and NEXT buttons to review your ballot.
When you have finished making your selections, the system then shows you the Ballot Summary screen that lists all the choices you have made. If you’ve skipped a race, you will see “No selections” in red.
You do not have to vote in every race, but if you missed voting by accident, this screen alerts you.
From this screen you can change your selections or correct mistakes. Use the wheel to move the highlight bar over the choice you want to change, press ENTER, and the system takes you to that contest. Make your correction, and you are returned to the Summary page.

13. Cast Your Ballot
When you have completely finished voting and reviewing your Ballot Summary page, press the CAST BALLOT button.
From the summary page, press CAST BALLOT to put your ballot in the electronic ballot box.

14. Cast Your Ballot
Your vote has been recorded when you see the waving American Flag.
Your vote has been recorded when you see the waving American Flag. You may now leave the voting booth. It’s that simple!

15. Special Features Sip-and Puff Device Headphones Jelly Switches
A key benefit of the eSlate system is the Disabled Access Unit, designed as a fully integrated feature of the system. When a voter with disabilities, or for that matter a voter who cannot read English or Spanish fluently, comes to the polls, they are directed to a device that is that same as the devices used by all other voters – a fact that is important to many with disabilities - but includes headphones and an audio ballot reader that will read the ballot to them and audibly confirm their choices.
The system also includes special components that support those with mobility impairments, including jelly switches that can be used as an alternate method of navigating the ballot and casting votes. The system can even accommodate breath control devices – sometimes called “sip-and-puff” --- that allow the most seriously mobility impaired to cast votes independently.
Headphones
Jelly Switches
Battery Back-Up

16. Ballot Now, the Absentee By-mail System
Use a BLUE or BLACK pen to completely fill
in the Box beside your choice, as shown here.
Do not fill in more choices than allowed.
If you make a mistake, you may correct it by
crossing out the incorrect choice with an X
and marking your true choice.
You must sign and date the voter’s affidavit.
Make sure you mail your ballot in the envelope
provided so it will be received no later than
Election Day. X
If you receive your ballot by mail, it too will look a bit different. Simply following the directions you see here using a blue or black pen. That’s all there is to it.

17. Introducing the eSlate
October 24 – Nov. 4 --eSlate demo units will be in all early voting locations for those wanting a to take a “test drive” of the eSlate.
November 8 – Constitutional Amendment Election – eSlate demo units will again be available in the 10 busiest polling places.
December – February – eSlate demos will be given throughout Montgomery County with the help of trained volunteer presenters.
February 21- March 3 – Early Voting for Primary Election. Voters will begin using the eSlate at all polling locations.
March 7 – Primary Election Day.
Because the County is committed to ensuring all voters feel completely comfortable with the new system, we are doing presentations throughout the county. And anyone may come to the Election Office in Conroe, M – F, 8:30 – 5:00 to take a test drive. Instructional materials are available for distribution.
During the upcoming State Constitutional Amendment Election, we will have an eSlate demo unit in all our Early Voting (October 24 – Nov. 4) and in our 10 busiest Election Day (Nov. 8) locations.

18. Conclusion
Montgomery County has a long history of successful, well-administered elections.
Our new system will continue to build on that success.
The eSlate system is easy-to-use, accurate, secure and accessible.
Montgomery County is preceding the implementation of the new system with demonstrations throughout the county,giving interested voters a chance to take a test drive before the Primary Election in March.
Conclusion
The right to vote privately and securely is fundamental. Montgomery County has a long history of successful, well-administered elections, and the new system will continue to build on that success. The system is easy-to-use, accurate, secure and accessible, and the County is providing live demonstrations and instructional materials that will help ensure confidence and promote voter participation.
Thanks again for the opportunity to be here today, and I would be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

19. Upcoming Early Voting:
For More Information
Website
Phone
To get more information about the system, the upcoming election, or any related matter, call the the Montgomery County Election Office at or visit our website at
(IF DEMO UNIT PRESENT) Now feel free to come up and take a look.
(IF VIDEO IS BEING USED): Now lets take a look at a short video showing the system in action.
Upcoming Early Voting:
February 21, 2006