Gov't Acct Bd


GAB's web page Meeting schedules and agendas Members of the Board During 2008, the GAB will be reviewing all Administrative Rules Schedule of Rule Review Info on Administrative Rules	Government Accountability Board Next Meeting is August 27 (9:30) & 28 (9:00), 2008 Meeting of July 15 & 16 - New proposed category of provisional ballot - see Malischke letter and Brennan Center letter They will be reviewing the Election Administration manual, which contains sections on pre-election testing of voting machines, and the Board of Canvassers. Comment letter - Board of Canvassers section is inadequate Comment letter - Pre-election testing of voting machines is inadequate GAB response to above letters (from July 15-16 agenda): "This Election Administration Manual is the basis for our training curriculum for municipal clerks. The manual covers municipal clerks’ election administration duties and responsibilities. It is not the sole source of informational materials provided to clerks with respect to their election administration duties. The manual was revised in July, 2007. A copy of the manual can be viewed at the following link: http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=11811&locid=47 Paul Malischke has submitted a letter to the staff with a series of suggestions on how the manual can be improved with respect to pre-election testing of voting equipment. He has also submitted a separate letter with comments on the need to provide more direction to Boards of Canvassers on how to conduct the post election canvass of election results. A copy of Mr. Malischke’s correspondence accompanies this memorandum. His suggestions have merit and deserve consideration. There are some steps the staff can initiate to address his concerns for the Fall elections. However, now is not the time to rewrite our manuals. Time after time when a few or more clerks gather and provide feedback to us, they beg and plead with us not to send them a whole lot of new and/or material changes to directives, rules, regulations and guidance. Practically anything that remotely seems “new” will be viewed and perceived as new. Therefore, in keeping with the clerks’ mantra, for this upcoming Fall election season, we should not revise any of our manuals. It is too late for that. Second, Nat plans to initiate a “post-mortem” and revisit all of our election administration business practices in 2009. That is the time to take the suggestions that Mr. Malischke and others have made into consideration and implement with appropriate feedback from local election officials. Staff will develop guidance for implementation by municipal clerks that provides additional direction on pre-election voting equipment testing. This guidance will be submitted for review by the Board at its August 28, 2008 meeting. Our staff has been planning to have sample test decks for the partisan primary available after the candidates have been certified. The staff meets with the County Clerks 3 times a year in March, June and September. At each meeting, we recognize those clerks who have submitted a correctly prepared canvass with a gold or silver star. One of our performance measures in the budget process is reducing the number of errors on county canvasses. We provide directions before each election on how to properly complete the canvass report and what procedures to follow. In June 2004 and June 2005, State Elections Board staff made one hour presentations to the county clerks on how to conduct the county canvass. Staff will take Mr. Malischke’s comments to add more detail and direction to the information we provide to county and municipal clerks on the conduct of the post-election canvass." GAB gets $2 million grant from the EAC for data Wisconsin grant application EAC grant announcement EAC Appendix A detailing what data is required May 5 Meeting Gov't Accountability Board meeting at 9:30 in Madison Letters: close the Security loopholes; and standardize on optical scan; from Paul Malischke February 25, 2008 Meeting Ann Frisch and Paul Malischke presented a request to investigate undervotes in Neenah. GAB staff agreed to investigate. Request for improvements needed to recount procedures. Staff said these comments had merit and will bring this back to the May 5 meeting State Elections Board Nov 28. They passed a resolution to direct staff to promulgate rules for pre-election testing of voting machines, per a request from Paul Malischke Security of Voting Equipment and Ballots Security Rules were on the agenda of the State Elections Board Meeting of Sept 12. Amendments to strengthen them were proposed on behalf of Fair Election Wisconsin. The members of the Board made favorable comments towards the amendments, and staff will bring back the next version at their meeting Nov. 28 in Madison. Contact Paul Malischke about broken links, if the status is not up to date, or with your comments. Last updated Monday, July 28, 2008 Consumer alert: This page may reflect the bias of the author J

During 2008, the GAB will be reviewing all Administrative Rules

Schedule of Rule Review

Info on Administrative Rules

Government Accountability Board

Next Meeting is August 27 (9:30) & 28 (9:00), 2008

Meeting of July 15 & 16 - New proposed category of provisional ballot - see Malischke letter and Brennan Center letter

They will be reviewing the Election Administration manual, which contains sections on pre-election testing of voting machines, and the Board of Canvassers.

Comment letter - Board of Canvassers section is inadequate

Comment letter - Pre-election testing of voting machines is inadequate

GAB response to above letters (from July 15-16 agenda):

"This Election Administration Manual is the basis for our training curriculum for municipal clerks. The manual covers municipal clerks’ election administration duties and responsibilities. It is not the sole source of informational materials provided to clerks with respect to their election administration duties. The manual was revised in July, 2007. A copy of the manual can be viewed at the following link: http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=11811&locid=47

Paul Malischke has submitted a letter to the staff with a series of suggestions on how the manual can be improved with respect to pre-election testing of voting equipment. He has also submitted a separate letter with comments on the need to provide more direction to Boards of Canvassers on how to conduct the post election canvass of election results.

A copy of Mr. Malischke’s correspondence accompanies this memorandum. His suggestions have merit and deserve consideration. There are some steps the staff can initiate to address his concerns for the Fall elections. However, now is not the time to rewrite our manuals.

Time after time when a few or more clerks gather and provide feedback to us, they beg and plead with us not to send them a whole lot of new and/or material changes to directives, rules, regulations and guidance. Practically anything that remotely seems “new” will be viewed and perceived as new. Therefore, in keeping with the clerks’ mantra, for this upcoming Fall election season, we should not revise any of our manuals. It is too late for that.

Second, Nat plans to initiate a “post-mortem” and revisit all of our election administration business practices in 2009. That is the time to take the suggestions that Mr. Malischke and others have made into consideration and implement with appropriate feedback from local election officials.

Staff will develop guidance for implementation by municipal clerks that provides additional direction on pre-election voting equipment testing. This guidance will be submitted for review by the Board at its August 28, 2008 meeting. Our staff has been planning to have sample test decks for the partisan primary available after the candidates have been certified.

The staff meets with the County Clerks 3 times a year in March, June and September. At each meeting, we recognize those clerks who have submitted a correctly prepared canvass with a gold or silver star. One of our performance measures in the budget process is reducing the number of errors on county canvasses. We provide directions before each election on how to properly complete the canvass report and what procedures to follow. In June 2004 and June 2005, State Elections Board staff made one hour presentations to the county clerks on how to conduct the county canvass.

Staff will take Mr. Malischke’s comments to add more detail and direction to the information we provide to county and municipal clerks on the conduct of the post-election canvass."

GAB gets $2 million grant from the EAC for data

Wisconsin grant application EAC grant announcement EAC Appendix A detailing what data is required

May 5 Meeting Gov't Accountability Board meeting at 9:30 in Madison

Letters: close the Security loopholes; and standardize on optical scan; from Paul Malischke

February 25, 2008 Meeting

Ann Frisch and Paul Malischke presented a request to investigate undervotes in Neenah. GAB staff agreed to investigate.

Request for improvements needed to recount procedures. Staff said these comments had merit and will bring this back to the May 5 meeting

State Elections Board Nov 28. They passed a resolution to direct staff to promulgate rules for pre-election testing of voting machines, per a request from Paul Malischke

Security of Voting Equipment and Ballots

Security Rules were on the agenda of the State Elections Board Meeting of Sept 12. Amendments to strengthen them were proposed on behalf of Fair Election Wisconsin. The members of the Board made favorable comments towards the amendments, and staff will bring back the next version at their meeting Nov. 28 in Madison.

Contact Paul Malischke about broken links, if the status is not up to date, or with your comments. Last updated Monday, July 28, 2008

Consumer alert: This page may reflect the bias of the author J