County of Tuolumne Grand Jury 12855 Justice Center Drive

Published: June 30, 2023 23 pages

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Findings and Recommendations 6 findings

The TCED has a strong support staff of over 30 supporting the Tuolumne County elections. Their training is both efficient and effective as evidenced during interviews and tours. The Election Center clearly demonstrated their knowledge both on Election Night and ballot processing observations. The Vote Center staff knew the process thoroughly during our interviews and observations.

No recommendations for this finding

With the precinct 4007 printed ballot error, a printer proof process to verify the ballots prior to printing did not appear to be in effect. The error was not discovered until a precinct voter came to the Election Office. Understanding the time constraints, a review and approval still should be performed. The ballot corrections, once discovered, were handled swiftly and with great care to be sure all affected voters received updated ballots.

Related Recommendations (1)

All material, printed or available only online, should have a vetting process or material signoff. This includes the ballots printed and mailed offsite. Online proofs should be approved, even if the TCED creates and submits the files. (F2)

Physical access to the Election area is a concern, as witnessed primarily during Election Night. The open areas could not all be monitored by staff. Observers and visitors could walk into areas they should not have access to. While physical security did seem present or sufficient, access is a concern during the entire election period.

Related Recommendations (1)

For both physical site and Dominion system access, formal procedures should be established including a two-person integrity rule. A minimum of two County staff should be present during all ballot build uploads, software downloads and external drive scans. The TCGJ was not provided with any documentation regarding site and Dominion hardware access security plans. (F3, F5)

Safety of election staff and election centers and ballot boxes should be of paramount concern. The TCGJ did not see a formal safety review or debrief following the election.

Related Recommendations (1)

A comprehensive volunteer and Election and Vote Center debrief plan should be established and fully documented. This should include protocols for ballot box pick-ups, Vote Center ballot pick-ups and deliveries to the Election Center. The TCGJ did not see any formal debrief procedures to document what went well and what did not go well. (F4)

In conjunction with the physical access concerns, a formal procedure for access to the Dominion hardware for software updates and for election downloads was not readily available. The TCGJ did not see a formal procedure provided when all related documentation was requested.

Related Recommendations (1)

The VCA is fully implemented in Tuolumne County. TCED has an extensive community outreach program.

Related Recommendations (1)

The community outreach, voter presentations, printed material, and voter education through media channels should be continuously improved. The TCGJ was impressed with the depth and breadth of the materials. (F6) 19

Commendations 1

CM1 Page 20

C1: The Tuolumne County Grand Jury commends the Tuolumne County Elections Department for their performance excellence in County Elections operations: ballot preparation, election build, published voting materials, community outreach, Vote and Election Center worker training, overall voting system management, technical support and commitment to Tuolumne County for voting integrity. (F1) C2: The Election Center and Vote Center are recognized for excellent performance with respective operations, voter support and knowledge, vote tabulation, procedural integrity and dedication to the voting process. Their knowledge, professionalism and impartiality are a credit to Tuolumne County. (F1) 20 REQUESTED RESPONSES

Observations 5

OB1 Page 18

With the precinct 4007 printed ballot error, a printer proof process to verify the ballots prior to printing did not appear to be in effect. The error was not discovered until a precinct voter came to the Election Office. Understanding the time constraints, a review and approval still should be performed. The ballot corrections, once discovered, were handled swiftly and with great care to be sure all affected voters received updated ballots.
OB2 Page 19

Safety of election staff and election centers and ballot boxes should be of paramount concern. The TCGJ did not see a formal safety review or debrief following the election.
OB3 Page 19

In conjunction with the physical access concerns, a formal procedure for access to the Dominion hardware for software updates and for election downloads was not readily available. The TCGJ did not see a formal procedure provided when all related documentation was requested.
OB4 Page 19

The VCA is fully implemented in Tuolumne County. TCED has an extensive community outreach program.
OB5 Page 18

F2: With the precinct 4007 printed ballot error, a printer proof process to verify the ballots prior to printing did not appear to be in effect. The error was not discovered until a precinct voter came to the Election Office. Understanding the time constraints, a review and approval still should be performed. The ballot corrections, once discovered, were handled swiftly and with great care to be sure all affected voters received updated ballots. F3: Physical access to the Election area is a concern, as witnessed primarily during Election Night. The open areas could not all be monitored by staff. Observers and visitors could walk into areas they should not have access to. 18 While physical security did seem present or sufficient, access is a concern during the entire election period. F4: Safety of election staff and election centers and ballot boxes should be of paramount concern. The TCGJ did not see a formal safety review or debrief following the election. F5: In conjunction with the physical access concerns, a formal procedure for access to the Dominion hardware for software updates and for election downloads was not readily available. The TCGJ did not see a formal procedure provided when all related documentation was requested. F6: The VCA is fully implemented in Tuolumne County. TCED has an extensive community outreach program.

Agency Responses 1

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

Response to 2022-2023 Elections Final Report

August 15, 2023 • 3 pages • 4 responses • Score: +2 (+2, 0, 0) View Details ▾

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4 responses to findings and recommendations

Response: Agree Score: +1

Agree. Finding #2. With the precinct 4007 printed ballot error, a printer proof process to verify the ballots prior to printing did not appear to be in effect. The error was not discovered until a precinct voter came to the Election Office. Understanding the time constraints, a review and approval still should be performed. The ballot corrections, once discovered, were handled swiftly and with great care to be sure all affected voters received updated ballots: Response: Disagree. There is a proofing process in place. Two different employees proof the ballots to ensure accuracy. This was an err...

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

Agree. Ballots do go through a proofing process. Two employees approve the ballot types and sign the proofs before it is sent to the ballot designer. They use the State official list for State and Federal candidates. Local candidates are proofed against their candidate files. The proof from the designer is then proofed again to make sure no typos. This is what the printer uses to produce the ballots. We also have a proof sheet from the printer on how many ballots are printed. This also goes to the State. Recommendation #2. For both physical site and Dominion system access, formal procedures sh...

Response: Agree Score: +1

Agree. This was the first election with many observers. It was a learning experience. There is a Sheriff's deputy at the main door that will not allow anyone in that is not approved. But the observers do need stronger rules. In the future, they will be seated and not be able to walk around. We are also looking at getting cameras for the area of ballot counting and processing. Finding #4. Safety of the election staff and election centers and ballot boxes should be of paramount concern. The TCGJ did not see a formal safety review or debriefing following the election. Response: Agree. Normally th...

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

Agree. We will continue to work with the State on Educational materials, deadlines, and due dates for voters. The radio station and newspaper are great partners in getting out the word. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the above findings and recommendations. Sincerely, Deborah Bautista Deborah Bautista (Aug 15, 2023 16:17 PDT) Kathleen K. Haff, Deborah Bautista, <b>Board Chair</b> Tuolumne County Auditor/Controller & Registrar of Voters ATTEST: Heather Ryan Heather Ryan, Sr. Board Clerk Clerk of the Board of Supervisors I hereby certify that according to the provisions of Government...

No Responses Found 3

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

County of Tuolumne Agency

Tuolumne County Auditor-Controller Elected County Office

Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Elected County Office