Sec. 44. In-process audit records consist of data documenting precinct and central count system operation during diagnostic routines and the casting and tallying of ballots. At a minimum, the in-process audit records for all systems must contain the following items, except as otherwise noted:

(1) Machine generated error and exception messages to ensure that successful recovery has been accomplished. Examples include the following:

(A) The source and disposition of system interrupts resulting in entry into exception handling routines.

(B) All messages generated by exception handlers.

(C) The identification code and number of occurrences for each hardware and software error or failure.

(D) Notification of system log-in or access errors, file access errors, and physical violations of security as they occur, and a summary record of these events after processing.

(E) For ballot card voting systems, an event log of any ballot-related exceptions, such as the following:

(i) Quantity of ballots that are not processable.

(ii) Quantity of ballots requiring special handling.

(iii) In a central count environment, quantity identification number of aborted precincts.

(F) Other exceptional events such as power failures, failure of critical hardware components, data transmission errors, or other types of operating anomalies.

(2) Critical system status messages other than informational messages displayed by the system during the course of normal operations. These items include the following:

(A) Diagnostic and status messages upon startup.

(B) The “zero totals” check conducted before opening the polling place or counting a precinct centrally.

(C) For ballot card voting systems, the initiation or termination of card reader and communications equipment operations.

(D) For electronic voting system machines, the event (and time, if available) of enabling/casting each ballot that is each voter’s transaction as an event. This data can be compared with the public counter for reconciliation purposes.

(3) Status messages that are generated by the machine’s data quality monitor or by software and hardware condition monitors. For example, a cumulative or summary record of data read-write-verify, parity, or check-sum errors and retries is required. The intent is to gauge the accuracy of the ballot data and adequacy of the system in monitoring and detecting system processing errors.

(4) System generated log of all normal process activity and system events that require operator intervention so that each operator access can be monitored and access sequence can be constructed.

As added by P.L.3-1997, SEC.332.