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Open-source software, commercial off-the-shelf hardware, and paper ballots. |
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This guide walks you through the complete process to set up, test, and operate the voting system on election day. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the VotingWorks team by emailing help@vx.support or calling (510) 426-9991.
VotingWorks consists of two subsystems:
- Central System: all equipment necessary for election programming, central batch ballot scanning, results tabulation, write-in adjudication, and reporting.
- Precinct System: all equipment necessary for use at the precinct to scan hand-marked ballots and provide an accessible ballot marking device for voters who need or prefer assistance marking a ballot.
VotingWorks Central System includes two components:
- VxAdmin: the main tool for local election administrators, which programs elections, tabulates and reports results on election night.
- VxCentralScan (optional): a central scanner used for rapidly scanning absentee or vote by mail ballots.
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Central System: VxCentralScan (left) and VxAdmin (right)
VotingWorks Precinct System consists of two portable, self-contained products:
- VxMark: an accessible ballot marking device with a printer that produces a voter-verifiable paper ballot.
- VxScan: a voter-facing precinct scanner that scans paper ballots and notifies voters of ballot issues for second-chance voting.
Voters at the precinct vote on hand-marked paper ballots with the ability to vote on a VxMark if requested. After marking ballots, all voters scan their ballots using VxScan.
VxScan set up on ballot box
VxMark
All votes cast using VotingWorks equipment are on paper ballots for security and post-election auditing.
There are two types of VotingWorks paper ballots:
- Hand-marked paper ballot
- All absentee voters will receive a hand-marked paper ballot that is printed by a print vendor. Absentee ballots are scanned by election administrators using a high-speed central scanner (VxCentralScan) or the precinct scanner (VxScan).
- Most in-precinct voters will receive a hand-marked paper ballot that is printed by a print vendor to hand mark. Precinct ballots are scanned by voters using a precinct scanner (VxScan).
- Machine-marked paper ballot (via ballot marking device)
- In-precinct voters may request to use the accessible ballot marking device (VxMark), which prints a voter verifiable paper ballot. Machine-marked precinct ballots are scanned by voters using the same precinct scanner (VxScan).
Example hand-marked paper ballot
Example machine-marked paper ballot