1. Central Counting Station & Central Accumulating Station
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
12/31/2018
Central Counting Station & Central Accumulating Station
Andre Montgomery, Staff Attorney
Elections Division – Texas Secretary of State
33rd Annual Election Seminar – August 2015
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

2. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Central Count
Central Counting Station = Location for optical scan ballots to be tabulated.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

3. Texas Secretary of State
Central Accumulation
Central Accumulation Station = Location for results from precinct tabulators and DREs to be accumulated and tabulated.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

4. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Establishing CCS
Established by authority that adopted electronic voting system.
Commissioners court for the November 3, 2015 constitutional amendment election.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

5. Texas Secretary of State
CCS Personnel
Central Counting Station Manager = Manages overall administration of station and supervision of personnel.
Tabulation Supervisor = Operates automatic tabulating equipment.
Assistant Tabulation Supervisor = Assists Tabulation Supervisor.
Presiding Judge = Maintains order at CCS and administers oaths. Receives ballot boxes.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

6. Texas Secretary of State
CCS Manager
Same qualifications as an election judge, but doesn’t have to be a registered voter of the political subdivision during first year voting system is adopted or if person is employee of the political subdivision.
Must have knowledge and experience with elections and voting systems.
Employee of political subdivision is eligible.
General custodian of election records is eligible regardless of status as a candidate/officeholder.
Appointed by authority establishing CCS.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

7. Tabulation Supervisor
Same qualifications as an election judge.
Must be trained on equipment used.
Employee of political subdivision is eligible.
Appointed by authority establishing CCS.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

8. Assistant Tabulation Supervisor
Must have competence, training and experience required to assist.
Employee of political subdivision is eligible.
Appointed by Tabulation Supervisor.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

9. Texas Secretary of State
Presiding Judge
Same qualifications as election judge.
General custodian of election records and his/her employees are eligible regardless of candidate/officeholder status.
Appointed by the authority appointing election judges (commissioners court for state and county officer election).
Must appoint an alternate judge for county election.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

10. Texas Secretary of State
Clerks
Same qualifications as election clerks.
General custodian of election records or his/her employees or an employee of the political subdivision are eligible, even not a resident of the county.
Appointed by CCS Manager and Presiding Judge.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

11. Texas Secretary of State
Time of Appointment
If a county commissioners’ court establishes a CCS, it is recommended that CCS personnel be appointed in July or August.
CCS judges and clerks are appointed from lists provided by county chairs under
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

12. People Permitted to be at CCS
CCS/CAS personnel. (§§ )
Precinct election officers delivering locked and sealed ballot boxes. (§ (c))
Poll watchers and inspectors. (§§ , )
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

13. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Peace officers summoned or appointed by CCS presiding judge to preserve order. (§§ , (c))
SOS and Staff. (§ )
Federal Observers. (Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.A. § 1973(f))
Election staff people delivering election supplies. (§ )
Sheriff delivering election supplies. (§ )
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

14. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Persons approved to assist with electronic voting equipment. (§§ , )
County chairs in primary election. (§ (d))
Emergency personnel, if needed.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

15. Texas Secretary of State
Plan for CCS
CCS Manager must establish and implement a written plan for operation of CCS. (§ )
Must include procedure for comparing votes cast with number of signatures on combination forms.
Recommend that the plan takes into account tracking procedures for electronic storage and voting systems that are established by general custodian of election records.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

16. Texas Secretary of State
Counting Ballots
Ballot boxes are received at the CCS by the presiding judge or designee. Ballot boxes should be delivered with list of seal serial numbers. Once these are checked, the judge should issue a signed receipt.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

17. Texas Secretary of State
Counting Ballots, cont.
After ballot boxes are opened, clerks should do some preliminary sorting:
Separate provisional ballots from other ballots, and compare with List of Provisional Voters.
Separate write-in votes, partially invalid ballots, damaged ballots and irregularly marked ballots.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

18. Texas Secretary of State
Counting Ballots, cont.
Once ballots are sorted, they should be delivered to the CCS Manager.
Manager may send irregularly-marked ballots to Judge to determine if voter intent can be ascertained.
Manager will determine if ballots need to be duplicated or hand-counted.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

19. Texas Secretary of State
Counting Ballots, cont.
Once ballots are ready to be counted, CCS Manager shall deliver them to the Tabulation Supervisor and Assistant.
Tabulation Supervisor and Assistants shall handle ballots and equipment.
Write-in votes and ballots that cannot be tabulated with electronic system shall be manually tabulated.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

20. Texas Secretary of State
Central Accumulation
Procedures established by general custodian of election records for ensuring that electronic storage from DREs or precinct tabulators have an established chain of custody.
Next, follows written plan established by CCS Manager for getting storage medium to Tabulation Supervisor to upload precinct results.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

21. Central Accumulation, cont.
Election judge should compare voted ballot numbers to voters on combination forms.
Write-in votes are reviewed by presiding judge.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

22. Texas Secretary of State
Release of Results
Results shall be released as soon as they are available, but may be withheld until last voter has cast their ballot.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State

23. Texas Secretary of State
Testing of Equipment
A logic and accuracy (L&A) tests should be conducted on the electronic voting system:
First test = At least 48 hours before equipment is used.
Second test = Immediately before the counting of ballots.
Third test = Immediately after the counting of ballots.
12/31/2018
Texas Secretary of State