Create an Activator Image
The EVID > Create Activator Image program is used to create an image containing voter data, system settings, and other information, which will then be copied to election activators.
Just prior to the start of early voting or election day, a worker at the voting site plugs an election activator into each EViD station. The information is then copied automatically to the EViD’s storage device. When the copy is complete, the activator can be removed.
All data for all EViDs is present on every activator, so you can load any activator on any EViD station. The same voting activator can be used to load database information into multiple EViDs. It is not necessary that an activator remain plugged into an EViD station during voting.
A staging activator prepares the EViD stations for use by verifying the hardware is in good working order, installing any software updates from VR Systems, and maintaining the security of the system. The program copies files from the I:\VR6Sharedbinaries folder, plus basic information for the election from your Voter Focus database, to create the staging image.
You can create as many staging activators as you think your county might need based on the number of people you have applying the updates from the staging activators to the EViD stations. All staging activators are the same for a given election and can be used with any EViD station.
When you are preparing early-voting activators, the Create Activator Image program should be run immediately after the Database Export program. Create Activator Image packages the extracted voter data with the system-wide settings defined in the Options program and prepares an image that can be loaded onto activators. If you also set up the EViD station configurations (using EViD Maintenance) and the voting locations' internet settings (using Poll Place Maintenance), those settings are included in the activator image as well.
Should a new EViD station be brought online during early voting, you will need to decide whether to use an existing early-voting activator or create an updated activator to prepare the new station:
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If early voting hasn’t been underway for more than a day, you can use an existing activator.
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If more than a day of voting has passed, you should re-run the Database Export program and create a new activator image.
When you are preparing voting activators, Create Activator Image should be run immediately after the Database Export program. It packages the voter data with the system-wide settings defined in the Options program and prepares an image that can be loaded onto activators. If you also set up the EViD station configurations (using EViD Maintenance) and the polling place settings (using Poll Place Maintenance), those settings are included in the activator image as well.
Activators should be created just prior to election day. This will ensure that all information is as up-to-date as it can be. However, before you create the election day activator, you must first generate a precinct register.
Should a new EViD station be brought online after election-day voting has begun, you should use the existing election-day activator to prepare the new station. Do not create a new activator. The new EViD will quickly obtain updates for its voting precincts via peer-to-peer communications with the other EViD(s) in the polling place.
- Verify that the computer you are using has a connection to the internet.
- Start Voter Focus and go to EViD >Create Activator Image.
- On the EViD Create Activator Image
dialog, select the type of activator image you want to create:
- To make a staging activator image, select Staging.
- To make an early voting activator image, select Election and then select Early Voting.
- To make an election day activator image, select Election
and then select Election Day.
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Examine the box under the Select Election button to verify the correct election is selected.
- Click Create.
If there are existing images for the election, you will see a dialog where you can delete the previously made images, if you want, by selecting the check box next to the image name and clicking Delete. Removal of old images is not required, though. If you want to keep the previous image(s), click Continue.
When the process is complete, you will see the message: Activator image created.
- Click OK to complete the image-creation process. Then click Exit to return to the EViD Console.
- Election Day Only - Next step: Generate the precinct register for the election.
Next, you can load the image onto activators.