Election analysis detects database problem

[helderheid]

ALAN CHOATE - Daily Herald

The early morning meltdown of Utah County's electronic voting machines Nov. 7 is a tale of two databases, according to an analysis by county officials.

Different versions of the same database were used to program the memory cards for voting machines and those that programmed the encoders that give voters access to a ballot -- and since the databases didn't match exactly, people got an error message instead of a ballot.

The problem surfaced as soon as polls opened on Election Day. A work-around solution was implemented, but not before voters had waited in long lines, and some left without voting.

The problem was traced to the encoders, which program a voter access card. The card tells the touchscreen voting machine which ballot to display.

The memory cards used in voting machines were programmed with the certified version of the database provided to the state by Diebold, which makes Utah's elections equipment.

The encoders, however, were programmed using a backup version of the database, said Utah County Clerk/Auditor Kim Jackson.

The database matches a ballot format with a specific precinct.

"As far as we could tell, it was identical," said Jackson of the backup database. "That's why the IT group decided to use it. Underneath, apparently there was something that was different."

He said the way numerical information was transferred differed between the two databases, resulting in encoders that put erroneous precinct information on the voter access cards.

That mismatch prevented a ballot from being called up on the touchscreen voting machines, said Diebold spokesman David Bear.

"The card has to match up with the ballot or it won't allow you to vote," he said. "It says, 'We can't find what you're asking me to find, so I won't let you do anything.' "

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