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Sponsor: Electoral Reform Working Group

Presenter: Jo Chamberlain, joc at pobox.com 650.726.1949

Subject: Endorse AB852, which requires that all voting equipment approved for use in CA elections use open-source software.

Background and Purpose: Current state law requires that the vote counting process be publicly observable. Current state law does not provide, however, a means for the public to provide oversight of vote tabulation by electronic voting systems. Electronic voting system vendors are not required to disclose voting system hardware specifications and the manufacturer-created computer software that is installed in the device is secret and proprietary. The people of California must have the right to know how their votes are counted. All details of election administration must be made freely available to the entire public in a regular and systematic way.

AB 852 requires vendors to disclose relevant technical details of the hardware and software contained within the voting system for which they are applying for state certification. The Secretary of State shall manage a process whereby the public can obtain technical information free of charge, including computer source code, relevant to voting systems under review for certification as well as systems that have obtained state certification.

Full text of AB 852, click on link, type in AB 852: www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm

Proposal: Endorse AB 852 (Approval Threshold - any proposal that receives any objection shall be removed from the consent calendar before approval as per GPCA Bylaw 5-8.11)

Committee Decision: Consensus

Time Line: Immediate Endorsement

Resources: Press Release. Electoral Reform Working Group budgeted monies for travel to testify at committee hearings in Sacramento