Drafter
Clerk 11/29/2007
Title
A MOTION related to elections, stating the council's approval of the executive's report on firms connected with software to help track ballots and to help reconcile the number of ballots sent and received.
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 15523, enacted on June 29, 2006, required the county executive to develop the ability to track ballots, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 15905, enacted on September 24, 2007, included a budget proviso that required the executive to transmit a report that provides clear information on the corporate ownership of VoteHere software, technical assistance levels and assurances for the product and information on the physical presence of the corporation in the northwest including their availability to support the county on site, and
WHEREAS, ballot tracking will allow individual voters to track their ballot envelope through several stages of processing but not through ballot tabulation, and
WHEREAS, a ballot tracking system will help ensure the accuracy of the ballot reconciliation process by automating certain labor-intensive processes, and
WHEREAS, on September 17, 2007, the council considered the passage of Proposed Motion 2007-0328 proposed by the executive as a hardware and software solution that would allow the county to better track and reconcile ballots, and
WHEREAS, during public testimony on Proposed Motion 2007-0328, concerns were raised regarding the viability and reliability of firms associated with the executive's proposal for ballot tracking and reconciliation software, and
WHEREAS, the council delayed taking action on a software component needed to assist in ballot tracking and reconciliation in order to investigate the validity of concerns raised during public testimony, and
WHEREAS, King County staff researched the companies and met with the principals of the firms associated with a software solution to assist in ballot tracking and reconciliation, and
WHEREAS, the research and info...

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