Midterm election season culminates on one important Election Day, but, in many states, voting is already underway. For the local officials who run elections, the work started even earlier. Liz Landers reports on how they prepare for voting and why they say voters should trust the process.
Before a single real ballot is counted in Davis County, Utah, workers run stacks of pre-marked test ballots through the machines. Some are marked wrong on purpose. This process, called logic and accuracy testing, confirms the machines count ballots correctly and catch errors like a voter picking too many candidates.
Utah is one of a handful of states that votes mostly by mail. County clerk Brian McKenzie explains the path a mail ballot takes. Each envelope carries its own bar code. If a voter needs a replacement ballot, the old code is canceled, which keeps anyone from getting more than one ballot. Return ballots are picked up by at least two election workers, logged, and brought under around-the-clock video surveillance. Each envelope is scanned, date-stamped, and photographed. Workers compare the signature to as many as five on file, all before a machine opens the envelope. This machine separates personal identifiers from the voted ballot, maintaining the constitutional right to a secret ballot.
Ballots move through the process in batches of 200, counted at every step. Vote tallies are loaded onto encrypted memory sticks. The process is entirely physical and manual, with no wireless or web-based components.
McKenzie, who has been the county's clerk since 2022, notes that the job has become more public over time. He reflects on the increased focus and engagement surrounding elections. This year, that focus included a fight in Washington over voting by mail, which President Trump attempted to curtail. The United States Postal Service announced new rules to regulate mail ballots before the Supreme Court intervened last month to block these changes.
The uncertainty prompted McKenzie's team to develop backup plans. He emphasizes that significant changes close to an election can create doubt and disengagement among voters.
Joseph Kirk, Election Supervisor in Bartow County, Georgia, shares similar concerns. He notes that while he does not believe anyone will hack the voting system, there are many ways to cast doubt on the election process. He expresses concern about the diminishing federal support for election security since the Trump administration.
In Western Colorado, Mesa County's Republican clerk, Bobbie Gross, is working to build trust by engaging the public through election tours and community outreach. She acknowledges that trust was damaged after the former clerk allowed unauthorized access to voting equipment in an attempt to prove unfounded fraud claims. Gross asserts that trusting an election is essential, regardless of the outcomes.
In Utah, ballots are sent to voters about three weeks before Election Day. McKenzie states that the speed of counting is not the primary measure of success; rather, it is the voter experience that matters.
With Election Day approaching, local officials across the country hope that increased transparency will foster greater trust in the electoral process. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Liz Landers.