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LAFCO hears final study on open‑source voting systems; public speakers urge forwarding to supervisors
Summary
LAFCO staff presented a final report on open‑source voting systems, and multiple public commenters urged the commission to forward the study to the Board of Supervisors; a motion to accept the report was made but an objection was recorded and no vote was taken.
LAFCO received a final report on open‑source voting systems on Oct. 23, 2015 and opened the item for public comment. Jason Fried, LAFCO’s executive officer, said the study — prepared by an intern with public comment incorporated — explains open‑source concepts, the range of approaches, and notes that no currently certified open‑source systems exist under California state certification rules. Fried recommended forwarding the report to the Board of Supervisors, since adoption and procurement policy are ultimately elected‑policy decisions.
Public commenters supported the report and urged action. Alec Nash, who has followed the issue for about a decade, praised the report and argued that open‑source systems are important for election transparency; Nash cited a court case in which trade‑secret protection of proprietary code limited scrutiny and led to significant undercount concerns. Brent Turner of the California Association of Voting Officials and other speakers pointed to jurisdictions elsewhere using open‑source solutions and urged San Francisco to move forward.
After public comment, a motion to accept the report and forward it to the Board of Supervisors was made; an objection was raised on the floor and no formal vote or final disposition appears in the meeting record.
The discussion left the report’s formal disposition unresolved in the Oct. 23 transcript; staff and commenters said they expect further coordination with the Board of Supervisors and the elections department as the city moves forward.
