Members of the independent CPA firm compare vote total tabulations
The Hamilton County Election Commission completed a public test of its voting machines Wednesday morning in preparation for the May 5th County Primary.
Independent auditor Quinten Howard, CPA, reported that 96 machines were tested and no issues were identified. He also confirmed that each machine’s control tape was traced to the machine tapes produced during testing, with no discrepancies found. The high-speed optical scanners were also tested using the same set of test ballots, and no exceptions were found.
Officials said the testing process is designed to ensure accuracy and consistency with state regulations and to verify that each machine correctly tabulates ballots. The machines tested are never connected to the Internet and will be used at precincts on Election Day.
After accuracy is confirmed, vote totals on each machine are reset to zero, it was stated.
Mr. Howard signed each machine tape to verify that all votes had been cleared. Tamper-evident seals were installed on each voting machine to secure the compartments. Each seal carries a unique serial number that is recorded on a log sheet and maintained under a strict chain of custody.
Key Dates
· Early voting ends: Thursday, April 30
· Absentee ballot request deadline: Saturday, April 25
· County Primary: Tuesday, May 5
Republican and Democrat election officials test the voting equipment