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The following questions were prepared by Rose Stellmacher, County Clerk of Oconto, Wisconsin and sent to all voting equipment vendors invited to her county’s vendor demo. We applaud her due diligence and grateful to Rose for giving us permission to use her questions as a template by which we can more fully inform interested parties about the Vote-PAD.
Questions are in black. Our responses are in blue.
The State is requiring all municipalities to purchase HAVA approved equipment by September, 2006. Isn’t it a good idea to stick with one vendor for all voting systems.
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We understand that it is important for all municipalities to use the same equipment if they choose electronic equipment, since electronic equipment requires ongoing maintenance and support. However, we hope you, like the officials in other counties, recognize that the Vote-PAD is unique in that it requires no ongoing maintenance or support. We believe it is both feasible and cost-effective for some municipalities in Oconto County to use the Vote-PAD, even if others choose an electronic system.
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Please provide the following information relating to your accessible voting equipment:
1) Price per unit
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$2030.00, plus shipping and applicable sales tax. We recommend that the county purchase one spare tape player and one spare verification wand for a total cost of $525. Other supplemental materials are available.
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2) Detailed listing of what is included with the unit price (i.e. transport case, ink cartridges, etc.)
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The Vote-PAD package includes all the materials necessary to provide the Vote-PAD in one polling place for up to five years. See StandardPackage.pdf.
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3) Will a quantity discount be offered?
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If the towns using the Vote-PAD intend to consolidate their preparation, they may want to purchase fewer tool sets for preparing ballot sleeves and election-specific instructions. We will customize the order accordingly and the cost will be less per polling place.
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4) Proof that your equipment meets the HAVA 01/01/06 Tabulation Accuracy Requirement.
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Not applicable, since the Vote-PAD does not tabulate votes.
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5) Does your equipment prevent unintended "Touch Screen" Selections (Stylus vs. Touch)?
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Not applicable, since the Vote-PAD is not a touch screen.
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6) Does your equipment provide Voter Verified Paper Ballot? If not, what is used as a backup should the equipment fail on Election Night?
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Yes, each voter marks a paper ballot when the Vote-PAD is used.
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7) Does your equipment have easy Provisional Ballot handling?
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Yes, provisional ballots are used in the Vote-PAD the same way they are used by other voters in the polling place.
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8) What is the weight of your equipment?
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The equipment used in the polling place weighs under 10 pounds. The total weight of a standard package is approximately 25 lbs.
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9) What is the size of your equipment (WxLxH)?
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All the materials needed for the polling place, including the tape player, can easily fit into a box that is 15" x 12" x 8", with room to spare. All the materials in the standard package -- preparatory tools and materials for up to five years of elections -- fit into a box that is 18" x 18" x 18".
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10) In detail, explain a typical election process including information such as Ballot Prep Lead Time and define the election roles of the County, Municipalities and your company.
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Detailed instructions for all activities are included in the Vote-PAD User’s Guide. Estimated time: 2 to 3 hours, depending on the density of the ballot. Before the election, the municipalities do the following for each ballot type:
Use the Vote-PAD tool set to punch holes in the ballot sleeve matching the marking locations on the ballot and attach raised indicators beside each hole. A training video is provided. Estimated time ½ hour to ¾ hour, depending on the density of the ballot.
Use the Vote-PAD Instruction Assistant to enter ballot details into a formatted Excel spreadsheet. From that data, automatically generate audio, Braille, and large-print instructions in text format. Estimated time ½ hour to ¾ hour, depending on the density of the ballot.
Use the supplied Text-to-Speech program to convert the audio text into an audio file. Use the supplied dubbing cable to connect the computer speaker to a tape recorder and transfer the audio file to cassette tape. Estimated time: ½ hour to ¾ hour, depending on the density of the ballot.
Format and print the large-print text instructions. Estimated time: 15 minutes.
Send the Braille text instructions to one of the recommended Braille transcribers for embossing. Estimated time: 5 minutes.
Place all ballot-related materials, labeled with the precinct name, into a 3-½" expansion folder to ensure they are kept together: Vote-PAD booklet, Braille instructions, large-print instructions, audio tape, as well as overview instructions and write-in sheets supplied by Vote-PAD, Inc. Place all polling place support materials into a case or box to be provided to the poll worker: tape player, non-skid pad, verification wand, and utility box with page-turning aids, removable tape, spare raised indicators, spare foam ear pads, pencil grips, paper clips, spare batteries for the wand. Estimated time: 15 minutes.
Use the 4-minute poll worker training video and instruction booklet supplied by Vote-PAD, Inc. to show poll workers how to use the Vote-PAD at the polls.
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11) Explain the following regarding your Certified Technical Support:
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a) How are your technicians certified to support your products?
b) How do you designate which technicians support which clients?
c) How many certified technicians do you normally have on staff?
d) Do your technicians perform on site support or is it always over the phone? If so, is there an additional charge for onsite support?
e) What hours are your support professionals available to assist your customers?
f) Does your equipment have the ability to meet special programming needs?
The training videos and User’s Guide provide instructions for every activity, and we do not anticipate that any additional support will be needed. However, during the preparation for the election, we are also available during normal business hours to respond to questions via phone, at no charge for the first election using the Vote-PAD.
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12) Is summary page verification provided for the voter?
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Yes, the ballot itself is a summary page.
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13) Is an audio function provided?
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Vote-PAD, Inc. supplies an audio overview of using the Vote-PAD, in addition to instructions and automation tools by which election officials prepare the detailed instructions in audio, Braille, and large-print format.
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14) Is a sip/puff tube provided for voters who are unable to touch the screen/pad?
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Since the Vote-PAD is not a computerized device, no sip/puff is provided. Instead, we provide physical aids for voters without the use of their hands. The Vote-PAD has been used successfully by people with quadriplegia, including one woman who voted using nothing but a mouth stick.
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15) Is there a "zoom" feature for your equipment?
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We provide a magnifying glass with each unit.
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16) Does your equipment offer multiple language capability?
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The Vote-PAD booklet adapts to whatever ballot you are using. Foreign-language audio and large-print instructions can be created by election officials, by translating the instructions automatically generated through the Vote-PAD tools. Braille can be generated for many languages as well. The Vote-PAD automated tools are not currently set up to generate foreign-language text directly, but they could be modified for most languages on request, for an additional fee.
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17) Is your equipment certified to serve as the primary election equipment in the State of Wisconsin? If not, where is your company at with this process?
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The Vote-PAD has been approved by the Wisconsin State Election Board for use by people with disabilities in hand-counted paper ballot municipalities.
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18) Do you have a central County hosting system that can be used to accumulate and display results from the various towns/precincts via modem dial-in? If so, provide details on how this system works and hardware/software requirements.
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Not applicable, since the Vote-PAD is simply an assistive device for voters at the polling places.
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19) What reports can your system produce? Specifically, we will be looking for State of Wisconsin required reports and internet based display file or connectivity for on-line presentation of results. We also need to know whether your software can display accumulated results on an ongoing basis throughout election night for the media or the general public.
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Not applicable, since the Vote-PAD is simply an assistive device for voters at the polling places.
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20) Explain in detail the technology specifications of your equipment and how you intend to maintain the current equipment for future years without requiring your clients to replace the equipment in the next ten (10) years.
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Materials and equipment included in the standard package may last 10 years or longer, depending on the number of elections held by the municipalities. No maintenance is required on the equipment, except that we recommend removing the standard-size batteries from the tape player and verification wand between elections.
When consumable materials need to be replenished, after 5 to 10 years, we estimate approximately $825 (at 2006 prices) to purchase the materials from Vote-PAD for another 5 to 10 years. If the municipality chooses to re-use the front and back covers of the Vote-PAD booklets and simply replenish the sleeves, the estimated cost is $400.
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21) Provide references of other counties that utilize your software.
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Not applicable, since no software is used for counting or tallying.
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22) Please provide the cost for the following:
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a) Acceptance Testing
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None. Not applicable.
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b) Programming (Include cost for both September and November Elections and future elections).
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None. Not applicable.
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c) Ink Cartridges
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None. Not applicable.
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d) Central voting accumulation software and/or hardware.
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None. Not applicable.
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e) Charging Adaptor
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None. Not applicable.
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f) Voting Table with Privacy Shield (if available).
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None. Voters using the Vote-PAD use the voting tables and privacy shields provided for other voters. If the municipality’s standard voting tables require voters to stand, we highly recommend also providing a small table and chair for voters with disabilities.
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g) Stand alone Privacy Shield (if available).
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The front and back covers of the Vote-PAD provide privacy to and from the voting booth. The privacy shield that slides out of the pocket in the front cover provides privacy while the ballot is being deposited.
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h) Additional Service Days (if needed)
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None. Service on the equipment will not be needed.
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i) Length of Warranty
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Components with manufacturer’s defects will be replaced at no cost. The tape player carries a one-year manufacturer’s warranty, and Vote-PAD provides a two-year warranty for the verification wand.
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j) Cost for Extended Warranty
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No extended warranty has been planned. This is negotiable.
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k) Cost for Local Election Support (if any)
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Since the only Vote-PAD equipment that could break down on election day is the tape player and verification wand, we recommend purchasing one spare of each per county. We also recommend providing poll workers with spare, standard-size batteries for the tape player and wand. Other than that, no election support is needed.
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l) List all costs associated with your equipment (i.e. cost per ballot, cost for candidates, cost for training, etc.)
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All costs paid to Vote-PAD, Inc. are included in the purchase price, unless negotiations result in an extended warranty on the tape player and verification wand. Training videos and written documentation provide all instructions needed to prepare the Vote-PAD for elections and to serve people with disabilities at the polls.
We estimate the total cost to municipalities for their own preparation of the ballot sleeves and election-specific instructions to be from $50 to $75 per ballot, per election, including staff time and replenishing off-the-shelf items as needed, such as removable tape, cassettes, and fresh batteries for the tape player and wand.
Other considerations:
The automated tools for generating election-specific instructions are in the form of openly viewable Excel macros and require the use of a personal computer with Excel 2000 or later installed. Note that instructions do not require the use of the macros; they can be generated by using the samples provided in the Vote-PAD User’s Guide.
No special environmental storage is required.
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m) Cost for Maintenance Agreement
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No maintenance is needed. If flaws are found the automated tools (Excel macros) provided for generating instructions, Vote-PAD, Inc. will fix the problems at no charge.
Vote-PAD charges $50 per hour to make changes to the macros.
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ALSO INCLUDE ANY OTHER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTIONS/ EQUIPMENT. NO HIDDEN COSTS!!
No hidden costs.
Ellen Theisen
President, Vote-PAD, Inc.
ellen @ vote-pad.us
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