California Secretary of State

This memorandum summarizes the actions taken by the Voting Modernization Board during its July 20, 2017, meeting. Key actions included approving Nevada County's application for Funding Consideration and Phase 2 Project Documentation Plan, totaling $9,888.00. The Board also requested updates on the status of the AB 668 Voting Modernization Bond Act and the federal Advisory Commission on Election Integrity as new information becomes available.

The memorandum outlines actions taken during the February 24, 2011, meeting of the Voting Modernization Board. Key actions included the approval of Ventura County's Phase 2 Project Documentation Plan and the issuance of a Funding Award of $523,093.57. The Board also managed the nomination and selection of a new VMB Chair and Vice Chair, along with defining roles for the new Secretary of State's staff appointments. Furthermore, the Board requested a survey to assess the possibility of conducting a second funding round utilizing unspent allocations.

The meeting addressed the Project Documentation Plan Review and Funding Award Approval. Key focus was the funding award recommendation for Nevada County's voting system upgrade, totaling $866,431.28, which involves purchasing Hart Intercivic eScan optical scan and eSlate DRE units. Nevada County intends to use paper-based optical scan units as the primary system to ensure compliance with HAVA while addressing accessibility requirements. Staff confirmed that the documentation package meets completeness requirements, and the eSlate units include a voter-verified paper audit trail. The Board approved the staff recommendation to issue the funding award after confirming the status of the Hart Intercivic system re-certification.

The memorandum outlines actions taken by the Voting Modernization Board during its May 18, 2012 meeting. Key actions included approving Humboldt County's Phase 2 Project Documentation Plan and issuing a corresponding Funding Award of $313,833.48. Additionally, the Board was notified of the resignation of the acting Executive Director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and requested to be informed upon the naming of a successor.

The meeting addressed VAAC member outreach updates, including efforts in voter registration and preparing for special elections. Updates from the Office of Voting Systems Technology Assessment (OVSTA) covered the status of various voting system tests and reviews. The Voter's Choice Act (VCA) updates focused on assisting counties in completing their Election Administration Plans (EAPs) and addressing challenges in recruiting local VAAC members. Key working group discussions included preparing ideal responses for a voting machine resource toolkit, submitting accessibility questions regarding petition signature verification to SOS, posting local VAAC information on the SOS website, and advocating for political parties to create accessible video statements for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing community. A significant topic was the situation in Shasta County, which decided to end its contract with Dominion Voting Systems, leading to potential hand-counting and lack of accessibility services; SOS has intervened to address the county's accessibility responsibilities. Additionally, Santa Cruz County presented on its Mobile Vote Center capabilities. Discussions also covered issues from the November 2022 General Election, such as poll worker training and improving remote access vote-by-mail (RAVBM) consistency, followed by requests for the VAAC to review upcoming SOS guidance documents for poll workers and FAQs.