Central System Setup
Precinct System Setup
L&A Testing
Poll Worker Guides
Election Night Admin Guides
After Election Night
Reference
VxAdmin Hardware Setup
Part of the Central System, VxAdmin is used by local election officials to program elections, print ballots, and tabulate results on election night.
Hardware Overview
VxAdmin is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) laptop pre-installed with VotingWorks software and an HP printer. All USB flash drives, cords, adapters, and programmable smart cards needed to operate the system are included and stored in an orange case.
VxAdmin Setup
VxAdmin can be set up through the following steps:
- 1.Unbox and Setup Printer:
- remove the printer and power cord from the case
- plug the power cord into the back of the printer
- plug the power cord into an outlet
- press the power button to turn the printer on
- load paper into the paper tray
Remove printer and power cord
Plug the power cord into the back of the printer and into an outlet
Press the power button to turn on
2. Setup VxAdmin laptop:
- open the case by lifting the latches on the front
Open the case by lifting the latches
- prepare the components:
- remove the laptop
- pull the power cord (a) out and plug into the laptop and an outlet
- pull the USB hub (b) out and plug into the laptop
- pull the card reader (c) out and plug into the USB hub (b)
- pull the printer cord (d) out and plug into the printer
- turn the laptop on
Remove laptop
Remove components
Plug components in
VxAdmin hardware setup is complete.
Recommended and Compatible Paper
We recommend using 28 lb letter paper (8.5" x 11"), specifically the following:
You may also use 24 lb or 32 lb paper. Do not use paper thinner than 24 lb. Thinner paper is somewhat transparent, and marks from one side of the ballot show through the paper and interfere with scanning of the opposite side.
HP Printer FAQ
Do we need to install toner?
New printers come with toner installed by default. The display will alert you when the toner level becomes low, at which point please follow HP's instructions to replace it.
The printer displays "Select Language" and won't print. What do I do?
The first time a printer is used or if it is ever reset, it must be configured by responding to the on-screen prompts. You can simply press the "OK" button repeatedly, selecting all the defaults, until it says "Ready."
How do I fix streaks, lines, or otherwise poor print quality?
Print a "Cleaning Page." In order to do so, navigate through the following options on the printer LCD screen:
- 1.Setup
- 2.Printer Maintenance
- 3.Print Quality Tools
- 4.Cleaning Page
Printing the cleaning page will usually clear the printer's rollers of stray ink that is causing print issues.
What if printing a "Cleaning Page" helps, but the issue keeps coming back?
If you are not using the recommended paper, it's possible that the paper you are using is not compatible with the printer. When toner doesn't print properly to a page, it can end up on the rollers where it will cause streaks on later pages. Try printing another cleaning page and then using a recommended paper.
If you are using a recommended paper, the toner cartridge may be defective and may need to be replaced.
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Last modified 2mo ago
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