The following is a joint message from the registrars in 11 Bay Area counties, including Marin County.
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Election security is a major concern at all levels of government. Elections have been designated as critical infrastructure of this the United States by Federal Homeland Security. California touts one of the most vigorous voting system testing and certification programs in the country. Local elections offices throughout California, in Marin County, are subject to strict rules and regulations as it relates to voting systems.
The four pillars of election infrastructure and security are:
- Networks & Systems
- Facilities
- Processes
- People
Like elsewhere in California, the voting system at the County of Marin is physically restricted under lock and key; only authorized personnel are allowed in the area.The goal of election security is to deliver a process that is not only safe and secure, but also fair, accurate and accessible. In California, at both the state and county level, there are a multitude of layered security protocols in place. A few notable rules and regulations include:
- The voting system used is a paper-based system. The paper ballot submitted by the voter is considered the official record of the vote cast.
- The voting system is NEVER connected to the internet or county network.
- The voting system is physically restricted under lock and key; only authorized personnel are allowed in the area.
- Strict chain of custody procedures and ballot inventory controls are required.
- Prior to counting, counties are required to perform a logic and accuracy test of the ballots and voting system to ensure votes are tabulated accurately.
- After Election Day, counties are required to perform at least a 1% manual hand tally (audit) of the votes as part of our official canvass process, which confirms that the voting system accurately tabulated and reported votes cast.
“Election officials remain vigilant with security, staying abreast of emerging trends and threats,” said Debi Cooper, Clerk Recorder and Registrar of Voters for Contra Costa County. “We are continuously reviewing our strategies and updating them with ongoing efforts to safeguard voting systems and election operations.”
All election processes and procedures are open to the public for observation.
For local information, go to the Marin County Elections Department website. Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts is your trusted source of nonpartisan election information in Marin.
A more detailed article and fact sheet on voting systems and security are online. Direct links to local elections offices can be found on BayAreaVotes.org, or the Facebook page, Bay Area Votes.