KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Florida’s statewide primaries are three weeks away, and Osceola County election officials are taking steps to make sure every vote is counted accurately and that the public can see it happen.
Under state law, all election equipment must be publicly tested before voters head to the polls. The process, known as Logic and Accuracy Testing, is designed to verify that voting machines are tabulating votes correctly.
The Osceola County Supervisor of Elections office conducted its Logic and Accuracy Testing Tuesday and community members were welcome to observe.
“The public is invited to watch; we randomly select 10 machines out of almost 80 that we will be using in early voting and on Election Day,” Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington explained.
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During the testing, staff runs sample ballots through each machine to test its accuracy.
“We have what we call a ‘deck of ballots’ that have been pre-marked, so we know the outcome. We run them through the machine, and these are the machines that will be used at polling locations or early voting sites. Then at the end, we make sure that count is right. If by chance it is not right, then that machine would be pulled and not used on Election Day,” Arrington said.
The public can observe how ballots are tabulated and how staff confirms the equipment is functioning properly.
Robert Cherny, a representative of the Osceola County Democratic Party, was among those who attended the testing. It was his second time observing the process.
“The good news is that if everything goes according to plan, it is really dull,” Cherny said.
He says that’s actually a good thing, and encourages others to see it for themselves.
“I think that more people should come out and witness these meetings. I think it helps inspire faith in the system,” Cherny said. “I strongly recommend that people that have any doubts about the system take the time, come out to the canvassing board meetings and watch them.”
Logic and Accuracy Testing is conducted before every election in Florida. Beyond equipment testing, Florida’s election rules include several additional safeguards.
The state requires paper ballots, photo identification, signature verification and regular maintenance of voter rolls.
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