Signed certificates for manual count
bonnie mcgregor made this Official Information request to Electoral Commission
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From: bonnie mcgregor
Dear Electoral Commission,
I understand that we manually count votes in NZ by hand.
Once the count is complete for each voting place during the official count, the totals are recorded on a certificate of results which is signed by the returning officer and a Justice of the Peace.
The results are entered into our Election Management System which records the results.
I was wondering where I can find the signed certificates for the manual count please,
as the ones on the election website are the certificates printed from the software.
My understanding is the manual count is signed off then entered into the system?
If my understanding is not correct can you please explain the vote counting process in detail, step by step including any step that includes checkers.
I also have a question about the software that is used, are they required to inform you what open source code they integrate into their software? for example election guard is free and integrates into any voting system, how would the public find out if this had been integrated?
can you point me towards the accreditations and certifications that the election management system is required to go through?
I understand catalyst makes the software, on their website they say "We also built a mechanism for electronic scanning and reading of votes, and logic into the Commission's existing system to decide the winner and act as a tiebreaker if needed."
is this logic turned on for manual counts?
have we ever needed to use it?
why is it built in when we count manually?
regarding the computers with the software on it, I understand they are all connected to the internet when data is entered. can you confirm if any other software is on these computers? are they built specifically for the election?
do any of them have remote access software on them?
thank you in advance.
nga mihi,
bonnie mcgregor
From: OIA Enquiries
Kia ora Bonnie
I am acknowledging your Official Information Act request, received 8
January 2021.
The request is as follows:
“I was wondering where I can find the signed certificates for the manual
count please, as the ones on the election website are the certificates
printed from the software. My understanding is the manual count is signed
off then entered into the system? If my understanding is not correct can
you please explain the vote counting process in detail, step by step
including any step that includes checkers.
I also have a question about the software that is used, are they required
to inform you what open source code they integrate into their software?
for example election guard is free and integrates into any voting system,
how would the public find out if this had been integrated? can you point
me towards the accreditations and certifications that the election
management system is required to go through? I understand catalyst makes
the software, on their website they say "We also built a mechanism for
electronic scanning and reading of votes, and logic into the Commission's
existing system to decide the winner and act as a tiebreaker if needed."
is this logic turned on for manual counts? have we ever needed to use it?
why is it built in when we count manually?
regarding the computers with the software on it, I understand they are all
connected to the internet when data is entered. can you confirm if any
other software is on these computers? are they built specifically for the
election? do any of them have remote access software on them?
Under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), we have 20 working days
for response.
Ngā mihi
Electoral Commission | Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri
PO Box 3220 | Level 10, 34 – 42 Manners Street | Wellington | 6140 | New
Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 0030 | Fax +64 4 495 0031 | [1]vote.nz | [2]elections.nz
Here is an enquiry from bonnie mcgregor
([3][FOI #14420 email]).
It was CC'd to: OIA/LGOIMA requests at Electoral Commission
From: bonnie mcgregor
Date: Fri, Jan 8, 2021 at 2:22 am
Dear Electoral Commission,
I understand that we manually count votes in NZ by hand.
Once the count is complete for each voting place during the official
count, the totals are recorded on a certificate of results which is signed
by the returning officer and a Justice of the Peace.
The results are entered into our Election Management System which records
the results.
I was wondering where I can find the signed certificates for the manual
count please,
as the ones on the election website are the certificates printed from the
software.
My understanding is the manual count is signed off then entered into the
system?
If my understanding is not correct can you please explain the vote
counting process in detail, step by step including any step that includes
checkers.
I also have a question about the software that is used, are they required
to inform you what open source code they integrate into their software?
for example election guard is free and integrates into any voting system,
how would the public find out if this had been integrated?
can you point me towards the accreditations and certifications that the
election management system is required to go through?
I understand catalyst makes the software, on their website they say "We
also built a mechanism for electronic scanning and reading of votes, and
logic into the Commission's existing system to decide the winner and act
as a tiebreaker if needed."
is this logic turned on for manual counts?
have we ever needed to use it?
why is it built in when we count manually?
regarding the computers with the software on it, I understand they are all
connected to the internet when data is entered. can you confirm if any
other software is on these computers? are they built specifically for the
election?
do any of them have remote access software on them?
thank you in advance.
nga mihi,
bonnie mcgregor
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[4][FOI #14420 email]
Is [5][Electoral Commission request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Electoral Commission? If so, please contact us using this
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Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Conversation ID: 8a82dbb0-5140-11eb-8fc4-0ab467835dee
8a82dbb0-5140-11eb-8fc4-0ab467835dee e211bcf
References
Visible links
1. http://www.vote.nz/
2. https://elections.nz/
3. mailto:[FOI #14420 email]
4. mailto:[FOI #14420 email]
5. mailto:[Electoral Commission request email]
6. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
7. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
From: OIA Enquiries
Kia ora Bonnie
Please find attached the Electoral Commission’s response to your OIA
request.
Ngā mihi
Electoral Commission | Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri
PO Box 3220 | Level 10, 34 – 42 Manners Street | Wellington | 6140 | New
Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 0030 | Fax +64 4 495 0031 | [1]vote.nz | [2]elections.nz
From: OIA Enquiries
Sent: Monday, 18 January 2021 3:05 PM
To: '[FYI request #14420 email]'
<[FYI request #14420 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Signed certificates for manual
count
Kia ora Bonnie
I am acknowledging your Official Information Act request, received 8
January 2021.
The request is as follows:
“I was wondering where I can find the signed certificates for the manual
count please, as the ones on the election website are the certificates
printed from the software. My understanding is the manual count is signed
off then entered into the system? If my understanding is not correct can
you please explain the vote counting process in detail, step by step
including any step that includes checkers.
I also have a question about the software that is used, are they required
to inform you what open source code they integrate into their software?
for example election guard is free and integrates into any voting system,
how would the public find out if this had been integrated? can you point
me towards the accreditations and certifications that the election
management system is required to go through? I understand catalyst makes
the software, on their website they say "We also built a mechanism for
electronic scanning and reading of votes, and logic into the Commission's
existing system to decide the winner and act as a tiebreaker if needed."
is this logic turned on for manual counts? have we ever needed to use it?
why is it built in when we count manually?
regarding the computers with the software on it, I understand they are all
connected to the internet when data is entered. can you confirm if any
other software is on these computers? are they built specifically for the
election? do any of them have remote access software on them?
Under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), we have 20 working days
for response.
Ngā mihi
Electoral Commission | Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri
PO Box 3220 | Level 10, 34 – 42 Manners Street | Wellington | 6140 | New
Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 0030 | Fax +64 4 495 0031 | [3]vote.nz | [4]elections.nz
Here is an enquiry from bonnie mcgregor
([5][FYI request #14420 email]).
It was CC'd to: OIA/LGOIMA requests at Electoral Commission
From: bonnie mcgregor
Date: Fri, Jan 8, 2021 at 2:22 am
Dear Electoral Commission,
I understand that we manually count votes in NZ by hand.
Once the count is complete for each voting place during the official
count, the totals are recorded on a certificate of results which is signed
by the returning officer and a Justice of the Peace.
The results are entered into our Election Management System which records
the results.
I was wondering where I can find the signed certificates for the manual
count please,
as the ones on the election website are the certificates printed from the
software.
My understanding is the manual count is signed off then entered into the
system?
If my understanding is not correct can you please explain the vote
counting process in detail, step by step including any step that includes
checkers.
I also have a question about the software that is used, are they required
to inform you what open source code they integrate into their software?
for example election guard is free and integrates into any voting system,
how would the public find out if this had been integrated?
can you point me towards the accreditations and certifications that the
election management system is required to go through?
I understand catalyst makes the software, on their website they say "We
also built a mechanism for electronic scanning and reading of votes, and
logic into the Commission's existing system to decide the winner and act
as a tiebreaker if needed."
is this logic turned on for manual counts?
have we ever needed to use it?
why is it built in when we count manually?
regarding the computers with the software on it, I understand they are all
connected to the internet when data is entered. can you confirm if any
other software is on these computers? are they built specifically for the
election?
do any of them have remote access software on them?
thank you in advance.
nga mihi,
bonnie mcgregor
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FYI request #14420 email]
Is [7][Electoral Commission request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Electoral Commission? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[8]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[9]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Conversation ID: 8a82dbb0-5140-11eb-8fc4-0ab467835dee
8a82dbb0-5140-11eb-8fc4-0ab467835dee e211bcf
References
Visible links
1. http://www.vote.nz/
2. https://elections.nz/
3. http://www.vote.nz/
4. https://elections.nz/
5. mailto:[FYI request #14420 email]
6. mailto:[FYI request #14420 email]
7. mailto:[Electoral Commission request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
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