Texas
Voting machine testing underway with Texas SB 1 changes
Voting machine testing underway with Texas SB 1 modifications
State legislation mandates counties to check the pc program that operates their digital voting machines.
GEORGETOWN, Texas – Some folks had been being paid to vote on the Williamson County Annex in Georgetown. They had been paid to vote not as soon as, however usually.
“So, voting is enjoyable,” mentioned Nani Covar.
By the tip of the day, Covar and the others there voted greater than 160 occasions. That actually could be unlawful throughout an official election day, however this voting was being accomplished to guard the vote.
“And it is value it, you need to be sure when the general public comes, and they will forged their vote, the machine goes to do what they’re vote says,” mentioned Covar.
State legislation mandates counties to check the pc program that operates their digital voting machines.
“That is us proving that the machines are counting accurately,” mentioned Williamson Co Elections Administrator Chris Davis.
Davis organized a public displaying of what’s known as Logic and Accuracy testing. It includes utilizing stacks of worksheet ballots marked with pre-selected decisions.
The candidates who’re chosen on paper, are entered into 50 totally different voting show screens. Then cross-checked with the machines that rely the votes. All that data is put via one other evaluation on Wednesday.
“And we are literally going to show up that the software program that’s put in on that matches the unique software program that’s been licensed by each the Federal authorities and the State authorities, it’s known as Hash Code Validation,” mentioned Davis.
That further degree of evaluation is remitted beneath SB-1. Republican state lawmakers pushed via that voter reform laws in 2021, which additionally included new restrictions on mail-in ballots. Democrats left the state in a failed try to cease it.
The tabulation system can be examined once more earlier than election day. The worksheet ballots which can be used on this testing course of can be locked away in sealed containers. When the true Mail-In Ballots begin coming in, they will be locked away in a storage room.
That storage room may have a dwell video feed popping out of it, so the general public can watch it 24/7. The requirement can also be a part of SB1. The highest 40 counties in Texas are required to offer the dwell feed.
The video digital camera in Williamson County can be turned on Oct. 29.
Travis County, which additionally has a video feed, did its logic and accuracy check a number of weeks in the past. However for some, that’s nonetheless not sufficient.
“I am not comfy. I am not satisfied,” mentioned Rocky Stone.
Stone was one in every of a handful of people that got here Tuesday to look at the testing course of. He believes digital voting might be compromised.
“I’ve by no means noticed something that may say it’s not OK, however I will be skeptical till I really feel snug,” mentioned Stone.
Davis was fast to level out that not one of the voting machines are related to the web.
“They do not have something, they do not have the potential to be related to the web. This check I feel goes an extended disproving people who say, I simply don’t belief the machines,” mentioned Davis.