Fairly comprehensive suite of applications.

Good document batch system with tracking.

Split screen entry off the scanned registration card.

Slow as a result of being an MS Access run-time application.

Poor or non-existent technical support.

Inconsistent program: some modules work today and don’t work the next day.

Batch entry more or single entry at workstation.

Batch entry allows split screen entry off the scanned registration card.

Complicated process: entered in the batch entry screens, then passed on to another program where they are pulled up and reviewed and corrected and passed on to another verifier before being put live in the system. Time consuming.

Contains a number of somewhat repetitive voter reports.

NVRA monthly reports are available.

Voter history for an unlimited number of elections is maintained.

Cannot easily correct voter history–for example, if in scanning absentee voters if they forget to log the method of voting as "ABS", you need to change that data in SQL.

1.4 Streets and Districts

A Block Range program maintains all street segments. However, district information is stored in 2 places: in the actual voter record, and then stored by way of the voter’s precinct. This causes a situation where the 2 sets of districts can be mismatched. This is clearly bad programming and has caused great difficulty in using this system.

NVRA sources are tracked and monthly reports can be generated.

Pollworker module is cumbersome and somewhat of an afterthought. It isn’t suited to counties that maintain large number of workers (say, over 2000). It is hard to distinguish between two workers with the same name but with different parties.

System has poor integration between the voter information module and PW module (for example, if voter information deletes a voter, no notice is provided and that pollworker simply vanishes).

Uses a contact record to store pollworkers. No flag in the voter record exists that they are a pollworker (so you could do reports based on that flag).

Workers are assigned to Election Precincts (that can be consolidated). However, the setup of election precincts is difficult and awkward.

Workers can be rolled over from previous elections, but any new precincts will have to be added and new election precincts created with new locations.

2.3 Poll Location Tracking

Straight alpha listing of polling locations.

No way to search for locations, or find a location for a particular precinct.

Locations are stored in two areas: one tied to the precinct as a "Normal Precinct" and the other tied to the election as the location "In Play". This can causes problems as voter id cards print the normal precinct location.

No way to print a report of cancelled locations.

If a location is deleted, all pollworker history that shows they worked at that location is also deleted.

Can be rolled over from previous elections, but cumbersome to add new ones.

A weak candidate module exists in the Election’s Module.

Races by districts can be setup in the Election’s Module.

Ballot styles can be generated from the Elections’ Module, however the ballot style numbers are simply an incremental system number (e.g. 145344, instead of 1, 2,3).

Ballot style reports are weak. You cannot get a report of ballot styles by precinct.

Slow processing method. Many steps need to flag a voter for an absentee.

Wizard based processing (not efficient however).

Can send 2^nd ballot if necessary.

Labels with bar codes are used.

Can scan and record returns with bar code.

Handles it but is inefficient. Not a unified screen for doing provisionals.

Only maintained in the Election’s Module.

Slow in processing petitions.

Does not handle non-registered voters in counts.

Confusing, undocumented screens for codes. Some codes can be changed and other cannot. No documentation on that codes do or don’t do.

Systems utilities are added on an "as needed" basis and are a mish-mash of utilities that often don’t work.

Group Voter Change utility allows you to make bulk changes to various fields in the system. You identify voters based on selected criteria and then select the elements you wish to change for them. Nice idea, but often doesn’t work.

Uses standard Access workgroups security. So if a workstation is not joined to a .mdw file, it gives full access.

Rights are managed in SQL. No utility is provided for the user to maintain rights.

You must explicitly "BUILD UP" rights. That is, you must say for each user or group what it is the CAN do, not restrict what they can’t do.

Done via batch scanning or Paperport Desktop scanners.

Uses the Kodak (Wang) Imaging Professional. You must watch the versions of this if you change workstation Oses.

Can set a consistent CLIP area for signatures.

Registration cards can be scanned via a batch scanning process or on the desktop. Batch Scanning is a separate program.

Polling location maps and other documents can be scanned as well.

Images are stored as raw .tifs on the file server along side with the application and database files. Creates problems in locating files on the file server.

No provision for storage on optical scan media, etc.

Must be done by bar code wand on the pollbook.

150 reports grouped by category.

Access report writer.

Many reports can be submitted as a batch and processed at a later time.

Most reports are ad hoc capable.

Up to around 8 criteria can be entered with a starting/ending range.

The fields that can be used in the ad hoc reports are preset and can’t be added to.

Many reports are extremely slow.

Ability to add sort levels, but no page breaks.

There are no graphic reports available.

6.4 3^rd Party Apps.

MS Access can be used , or Crystal Reports.

Tables are not documented and are stored both in the database and locally.

This system has no online help. Support consists of calling a support staff in Arkansas. On site visits are very rare.
Upgrades are poorly documented and often when new features are added, existing modules cease to work.
Statewide version runs at state level and counties dial in on dedicated lines using Citrix Metaframe.