CERA - Certified Elections Registration Administrator Voting Systems and Technology Questions and Answers

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) issued by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)?

Accepted Answer

To provide a set of specifications and requirements against which voting systems can be tested for functionality, accessibility, and security.

Answer

To mandate which specific voting system models each state must purchase and implement.

Answer

To create a national voter registration database for use by all states.

Answer

To establish federal laws governing the conduct of all post-election audits.

Question 2

An election official is preparing for a Logic and Accuracy (L&A) test on a batch of optical scan tabulators. The test deck includes ballots intentionally marked with overvotes, undervotes, and marks for every possible candidate combination. What is the primary goal of this procedure?

Accepted Answer

To ensure the tabulator is programmed correctly to read all ballot styles and accurately count all valid marks while rejecting invalid ones.

Answer

To train poll workers on how to operate the equipment on Election Day.

Answer

To determine the maximum number of ballots the machine can process per hour.

Answer

To certify the physical security of the tabulator's memory card slot.

Question 3

A state legislature has mandated the implementation of a post-election audit that provides the highest degree of statistical confidence that the correct election outcome has been certified. Which of the following audit types best fits this description?

Accepted Answer

A Risk-Limiting Audit (RLA) that uses statistical principles to provide strong confidence in the outcome.

Answer

A procedural audit that reviews chain of custody and security logs.

Answer

A fixed-percentage audit where 3% of all precincts are manually counted.

Answer

A parallel test where test ballots are run through a separate, identical machine.

Question 4

A voter with a dexterity impairment requests to use a Ballot Marking Device (BMD) at a polling place. After the voter makes their selections using the assistive interface, the BMD prints a paper ballot with their choices. What is the next critical step the voter must take before casting their vote?

Accepted Answer

Review the printed paper ballot to verify their selections are recorded correctly before inserting it into the tabulator.

Answer

Sign a special affidavit confirming they used the BMD.

Answer

Allow a poll worker to verify their selections on the printed ballot for them.

Answer

Insert the printed ballot directly into a secure envelope for manual counting later.

Question 5

What is a key technological and procedural difference between a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting system and an optical scan system?

Accepted Answer

DRE systems directly store vote selections in electronic memory, while optical scan systems count marks on paper ballots.

Answer

DRE systems are used only for in-person voting, while optical scan systems are only for mail-in ballots.

Answer

DRE systems are federally mandated by HAVA, while optical scan systems are optional.

Answer

DRE systems must have a Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), while optical scan systems do not.

Question 6

Which of the following is a critical security practice for maintaining the chain of custody of a voting machine's memory card after the polls close?

Accepted Answer

Placing the memory card in a tamper-evident sealed container, which is then signed by multiple poll workers.

Answer

Immediately uploading the results from the memory card to the jurisdiction's website from the polling place.

Answer

Having a single poll worker deliver the unsealed memory card directly to the central counting facility.

Answer

Wiping the memory card's data at the polling place after printing the results tape to protect voter privacy.