Public Testing of Voting Equipment Can Begin Saturday

MADISON – The Wisconsin Elections Commission is reminding media members that the window for public testing of electronic voting equipment for the Nov. 5 General Election starts on Saturday, Oct. 26.

The test provides an opportunity in communities across Wisconsin for the public to witness firsthand how election officials are preparing for the upcoming election.

All municipalities are required to conduct a public test of their electronic voting equipment not earlier than 10 days before each election. Pre-election testing is intended to confirm the accuracy of voting equipment programming and to bring transparency to the process.

This event is considered a public meeting and must be noticed at least 48 hours in advance. The public is invited to attend and observe the testing process.

Programming is verified by feeding a set of pre-marked ballots into each machine and reviewing the results tape that is generated.  An errorless count is required at the conclusion of the testing. According to Wis. Stats 5.84(1), any anomalies identified in testing must be remedied before the equipment can be used in an election.

Following the public test, voting equipment and memory devices are required to be secured. The WEC tells local clerks to utilize tamper-evident seals on memory devices that are in the equipment. WEC also instructs clerks to maintain a chain-of-custody log that documents any access to each memory device or tabulator by a member of the clerk’s office.

Media members are encouraged to contact local clerks to determine the testing plans and schedule for their communities.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.