Canyon County ballot machines are accurate ahead of May 21

Canyon County Elections Officials, poll workers, and the public put Canyon County ballot machines through a logic and accuracy test ahead of the May 21 primaries.

• Elections officials, poll workers, and voting machines are ready to go for election day.
• A top priority of Canyon County Elections Offices is that every vote is documented and counted accurately.
• The Elections Office demonstrated the process on Tuesday showing the accuracy of reporting numbers, transfer of data from polling machines to databases, and rejection of duplicate ballots.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Elections officials, poll workers -- and voting machines -- are ready to go for election day.

The primary election is right around the corner and with the May 21st date quickly approaching, the Canyon County Elections Office held their logic and accuracy test.

This room is split into three main functions: ballot creation, central scanning, and tabulation. A top priority of Canyon County Elections Offices is that every vote is counted accurately.

"If someone votes, it's not counted zero times or two times," says Canyon County Clerk Rick Hogaboam. "There have been generation-long concerns in our country with integrity. Americans have rights to demand that our elections are secure."

Prior to Tuesday's official logic and accuracy test, poll judge JoDee Arnold was involved in the initial testing of different ballot styles, identifying numbers, and touch screen calibration.

"Then we put them in the machine that what we put in the machines came out correctly on that day and we tested a humongous stack and we made sure that all those ballots were correct as well," describes Arnold.

The Elections Office demonstrated the process on Tuesday showing the accuracy of reporting numbers, transfer of data from polling machines to databases, and rejection of duplicate ballots.

"We are happy to take every effort to inform the public with how the entire election process works and ensuring that the votes are counted accurately," added Hogaboam.

"I do feel very comfortable ensuring them that the county has done everything physically possible that this is a secure and accurate process and accountable, transparent process," Arnold admitted.

After questions and clarifications for poll workers at the test regarding ballots filled in by hand, County Clerk Rick Hogaboam allowed people to fill in test ballots, intentionally making mistakes or changes to test the equipment. After those votes were tabulated, they did a hand count to test the accuracy. As it turned out, the machines were more accurate than the hand counters.