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From:
phoenixl <[log in to unmask]>
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Date:
Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:58:41 -0700
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Hi,

John Arntz, San Francisco's Director of Elections, is very concerned
about the various usability and accessibility problems being found in
voting equipment.  He has sent a letter to several CEO's of voting
equipment manufacturers asking them to take action about these problems
and his office has issued the press release included at the end of this
note.  Please forward this press release to your various election
officials and strongly encourage them to send emphatic letters about
usability and accessibilty concerns to these CEO's.

Thanks very much.

Scott

PS  Feel free to distribute this note.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USABILITY OF VOTING SYSTEMS IS KEY INTEREST FOR DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS

San Francisco, August 25, 2005- John Arntz, San Francisco’s Director of
Elections wants usability to become a primary component in the design
and updating of all voting systems. In July of 2005, Arntz and
Department staff attended a usability training; this training brought to
light several issues on usability in voting systems equipment.  Arntz
became aware that well-designed voting equipment will increase voters’
confidence when casting ballots and will reduce election administration
costs since voters will require less assistance from pollworkers and
department staff.

In a letter to the CEO’s of several voting system manufacturers, Arntz
indicated that voters would certainly benefit from this incorporation of
usability and accessibility considerations.  Additionally, pollworkers
and election administrators, who must educate voters and train
pollworkers on how to use any voting system, will benefit.  "In many
respects, the Help America Vote Act reinforces the need to more
programmatically incorporate usability and accessibility considerations
when updating and designing voting equipment," Arntz stated in the
letter.

A copy of Arntz’s letter has been placed on the department website at:
www.sfgov.org.  Also on the site is information on usability and voting
equipment:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/election_index.asp?id=34054


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