Coffman Announces Enitial Results of HB08-1155 Process

Sequoia and ES&S DREs overcome major deficiencies

Denver, February 25, 2008 – Today, Secretary of State Mike Coffman issued the first round of his findings related to the HB-1155 process, which Coffman requested just prior to the start of the 2008 legislative session. Signed by Governor Ritter on February 11, 2008, the new law gives greater flexibility to Coffman to consider the results of additional testing and security procedures, without compromising security and accuracy standards, in reviewing his earlier decisions.

Since Coffman’s December 17, 2007 decisions, the Department’s Testing Board has continued to test the decertified equipment. Through communications with county election officials and the vendors, the necessary tests were performed and, if needed, mitigation strategies were identified to correct shortcomings with the equipment. Last week, Coffman held a public hearing where Testing Board members openly demonstrated the equipment’s major deficiencies followed by procedures to correct those deficiencies. Following the demonstrations, members from the public, county election officials and representatives from the vendors provided feedback related to the process.

Coffman’s decisions:

Sequoia

Equipment: Edge II and Edge II Plus (DREs)
Decision: Certified with conditions
Counties: Arapahoe, Denver, Elbert and Pueblo

ES&S

Equipment: iVotronic (DRE)
Decision: Certified with conditions
Counties: Jefferson and Mesa

Hart

After listening to public testimony and feedback from the county election officials, Coffman determined that additional testing and deliberation was needed prior to making a final decision related to the eScan and BallotNow software. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Douglas County Commissioners Hearing Room in the Phillip S. Miller Building at 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, 80104.

ES&S

The Department is working to schedule additional testing of the M100 and M650 optical scanners using the provisions outlined in HB-1155. We will issue a public notice as soon as testing is schedule.