SF DCCC Open Source Voting Resolution

The DCCC's Resolution for Open Source Voting

The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee adopted a formal resolution calling on the city to pursue open source voting systems for all future elections. As the local governing body of the Democratic Party in San Francisco, the DCCC carries significant political influence, and its endorsement marked a milestone for the open source voting movement. The resolution affirmed that proprietary election technology creates unnecessary barriers to public oversight and that voters deserve a system they can independently verify and trust.

In passing the resolution, DCCC members emphasized that San Francisco has long been a leader in civic innovation and technology transparency. The committee argued that the city's adoption of open source voting would set a national precedent, demonstrating that municipalities can take ownership of their election infrastructure rather than relying on a handful of private vendors. Members noted that the lack of competition in the voting technology market drives up costs while limiting the ability of local officials to customize systems for ranked-choice voting and multilingual ballot requirements.

The resolution also called for adequate city funding to support the development and certification of an open source voting system. Committee members recognized that building a secure, certified voting platform requires sustained investment but argued that the long-term savings from eliminating vendor licensing fees and gaining full control over maintenance and upgrades would far outweigh the initial development costs. The DCCC pledged to advocate for budget allocations that would make the open source voting project a reality for San Francisco's elections.