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Our competitors probably have the
same sort of stuff flying through their email system as well.
My attitude is fostered by years of
the Global experience. I'm too young to be so cynical, but so be
it.
If ADA is more than booth design,
then create a list of criterion for Tab that actually stipulates the
highlights of what is ADA compliant. Nobody learns if nothing is said
about it. Put your two cents worth in now! If you wait any longer,
then what we deliver is what you will get. The booth is being designed
right now!
I also was referring to a voting
system, not a pollbook.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 4:08
PM
Subject: Re: Pollbook Function
I hope our competitors do not read our
mail. What an attitiude we have.
Cathy and I saw a product that is neatly packaged, weighs
7.5 lbs., ADA compliant in all catagories and is priced right. All this
from inception to market in twelve months. Those of us at IACREOT will
get to see it. Comments should be interesting.
ADA is far more than booth design.
I am referring to a voting system, not a poll book however
in the above comments.
Barry
A simple pollbook, eh? What skill level, if any, do pollworkers
have that they can operate any pollbook device. It sounds like these
people would have problems operating an ATM. Any pollbook device will
require some training and skill level to operate. It'll have more than
a numeric keypad on it.
ADA compliance for the booth
shouldn't be a problem. An integrated booth can have a different set
of legs attached to it allowing a wheelchair to roll under the booth and
also have it set at the proper height for access from a
wheelchair. Tab is aware of that criteria for the booth
design.
Hundreds to thousands for
testing? It won't be given the chance. As usual, these
things will be sold into accounts prior to any beta testing. And I
don't believe that Global will spend a million dollars on producing a batch
of test equipment just to have it trashed and given away. It'll
probably spend that million on supporting the product while it's being fully
developed in the field.
The alpha testing will have to
show the bugs. Unless we hire a half dozen testing personnel this
week, everybody (including sales staff) is going to have to test these
units. With the election season upon us, support staff (field and
in-house) aren't going to have oodles of time to sit there and play with
this new unit. So whoever gets their hands on a prototype, when
they become available, they'd better put it through its paces.
Otherwise, don't come crying...
YEA TEAM!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2000 5:26
PM
Subject: Re: Pollbook Function
I agree that the cirrent pollbook is too complicated for
most poll workers and can attest to it personally. Since many
counties do not have employees working Early Voting, it is also too
difficult for Early Voting workers (same as poll workers and normally at
least 75 years of age).
The only problem I have with the integrated booth approach is the fact
that many states will need to comply to ADA accessibility standards so
most of the competitors booths are not a good place to start in booth
design. Texas is the first in mandating these standards for the
handicapped and we have used a regular 6 foot table with one unit and a
table top secrecy booth (the regulare units are three to a table).
This may not be the best solution but it beats the heck out of the self
contained booths of some of our competitors. Consequently, if we
design an integrated booth concept, it must address all the ADA
requirements that will be sweeping the other states shortly!
I totally agree with the testing procedures and hardware to test
hundreds/thousands of units in a timely manner. Also, I agree that
we need input from the field personnel that have run these elections to
insure that we as a company do not miss some important issues in this new
design that will bite us all in the butt later!
Steve Knecht wrote:
After several discussions with Tab, Frank and Deborah the
pollbook issue remains problematic. Frank, Deborah, and I believe
that a laptop with a card burner is NOT a viable option for
pollworkers. It is cumbersome and generally is too complicated for
most pollworkers. It may work fine in an early voting environment,
but in the precinct we need something much simpler. In early
voting we can train staff. In the precinct, we need a turn on, turn off
card burner unit (maybe it has its own pcmcia card so it knows what
styles it can burn). Maybe the laptop pollbook unit is in CE and
will boot directly into the application and effectively do what I'm
suggesting. I don't know. The
AccuVote-TS is one piece of our new voting system. The system must
include:
- smart card burner (easy to use pollbook
application)
- integrated booth
- testing procedures and hardware to test hundreds or
thousands of units.
I would like to see
some folks in development, management, and field sales re-look at these
issues to insure that all the requirements of this new product are being
considered.
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