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23:22 - 22.12.05
hi and lo
Meltdown in the morning today. First up still fussing with the mobile and advance polls - the mess in the databases. Part of the problem is that half the work has to be done in one system and half has to be done in the other software package. Those two packages are supposed to be synchronized so that the two parts merge seamlessly into a single entity available through both. Well neither half was doing what it was supposed to and it appeared to me that after we had made all the corrections last week then uploaded to link with head office that's when all the real trouble began. Half of the work we had done was accepted while the other half was reset to the original default data which was completely wrong from the get go. Now the dissonance was even more pronounced. The chance to produce the documents required by statute becomes slim to none through the regular methods. I tried gtting them done again but still was not getting anywhere. I called the help desk and was blown off again. Asked my assistant tech to try through another method and also to call the help desk since they said they could "see" someone else working in that program from our office. I checked and of the three computers with that software mine was the only one with it open. The one computer was powered off completely and the other was in preparation mode for the big full dress rehearsal for election night one full month from now.

About an hour later I checked the trouble ticket to see if there had been any progress. No and the patronizing comments about why it wasn't working made something in my patience break. Called back and took a strip off the one person who had written those comments. Told them that their attitude was unacceptable and that their job was to assist with software problems not to find excuses not to do their job. I said I, my tech and my Assistant tech had spent a cumulative total of way too many hours on this problem over the past week and that I was tired of the stonewalling. At that point they started back in on entry level questions about the state of my skills with respect to using their software. Well yes nearly a decade of service so far. I finally lost my cool and told them that I expected the fixes to be completed today and that if they weren't I would call the big boss. Now normally I wouldn't waste my time doing that because I have never found him to be of any assistance at all. However at that point I was so incensed by the continuous obstruction that I was ready to do whatever it took to light a fire under the bunch. Suddenly I was passed on to a tier three person who fell all over herself trying to make certain that all my requirements were met. I should not have to go to that extreme to get service for very basic functions. While I was working with the tech it became very clear that the control of the programs was locked into their software. I could have just sat there with my arms folded and the same radio buttons would have depressed and opened the correct windows without me touching mouse or keyboard.

Right after I had hung up from that little set to the cell phone rang. It was the one candidate whose workers call incessantly about the diskette that contains the preliminary list of electors. Yes we know it is flawed but that is the database that headquarters supplied to us and it is the only one we have. I explained several times there was no other source of data available to us. He would not let up and I finally had to point out that the hourly calls from his campaign team and their attempts to talk with anyone but me was verging on harassment. He thought I was jokig and snorted. That set me off again coming so close to the last round with th techs. By the time I had had my say, using my best parental lecturing style he was quite subdued. he said he would talk with his team and that the only communication would now be between himself and me. Maybe i actually got through this time.

The aftenoon was spent working on fixing the polling maps that had also been altered without my permission so that we can clean up the database. Kneeling on the floorwith highlighters and black felt markers made other people laugh as they walked by my office. We aim to please. The other task was to take in the next set of nomination papers from candidate number four. While all those things were going on my assistant was finishing up the last of the voter cards and working with some of the team on preparing the supplies and ballot boxes for the polling day staff.It seems early but I am going to have to split a number of polling divisions in half because there are too many people to serve comfortably in one day. That means we are already short of critical supplies, so setting up now means we will have enough time to order what we need. The supplies I ordered a week ago are just arriving now you see. The posties don't work between Christmas and New Years so I expect I will see what I ordered about mid January. My tech, his assistant and the registration staff were working through all the details for the polling day dress rehearsal. They seemed to be having a lot of fun with it. Glad they were enjoying themselves.

The evening was spent with my tech going over the results of the dress rehearsal and going through all the correspondence that has been exchanged by us and headquarters about all the database problems. We also found as we worked that some of the information that has been entered by our registration staff does not show up in ither our databases nor in the ones controlled by headquarters. Started checking the physical copies of records with our enumerating supervisor and checking it against the city census data that was just released. Some of it balanced but some was nowhere to be found. My tech expressed the opinion that perhaps because of the breakin that headquarters might be choking off our access and transmission between systems for fear that our LAN had been compromised by the intruder. Other evidence I had provided him with as we had discussed the statistics seemed to be what had him thinking that way. Very odd little bits and pieces that seem to create some rather disturbing patterns. He asked a lot about the previous elections when he hadn't worked for me and also about the software and list integrity. I could see the wheels turning as each piece of our puzzle was brought to the table for discussion. I'll be spending tomorrow crunching the numbers and reports we looked at tonight - after I order supplies, rewrite part o the lease agreement and finish off the maps. Have to try and sit down with my assistant to work out scheduling for the next few days too. I've decided that a skeleton staff is the only thing I can justify for the next four days. For one thing I don't believe we are going to get a lot of calls or visitors and I want my staff to all have a rest after a month of constant running. When January hits we are going to become even busier and I need them fresh if they are going to last until the end of that month.

Talked with two other of the Returning Officers today and will talk to two others tomorrow. Just emotional support and exchanges of frustrations. Cryin in our beer I guess - if any of us actually drank and if it was allowed on government premises. Right now I think my bed is calling my name. Time for a nap on a long winter's night.

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