Brunswick County Board of Elections testing voting machines ahead of Second Primary
BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — The Brunswick County Board of Elections will begin logic and accuracy (L&A) testing on Tuesday in preparation for the May 14th Second Primary Election.
This testing is a series of steps intended to ensure ballots, scanners, and any other components of the voting system are properly configured and in good working order.
“Before every election we test the voting equipment to ensure it is election-ready,” said Sara LaVere, Director of the Brunswick County Board of Elections. “To promote transparency, the process of scanning ballots and sealing equipment is open to the public and will be live streamed.”
During the testing, ballots of each style are coded for a mock election and marked in a pre-determined pattern. They are then run through the tabulator and the results compared to the expected result. The tests check the voting system’s ability to read each ballot style and the accuracy of the tabulator when counting votes. A bipartisan team oversees the preparation of the machines and ballots and conducts the tests.
After testing, the bipartisan team and election staff will reset the equipment to ensure no test information remains on the system heading into the elections. The equipment will be sealed by the bipartisan team with a security tag which is logged for chain of custody.
The testing is open to the public. There is limited space available for members of the public. Those wishing to watch the process are encouraged to view the daily live stream. The daily schedule for testing will be:
- Tuesday, April 9, 9:00 am-3:00 pm
- Wednesday, April 10, 9:00 am-4:30 pm
- Thursday, April 11, 9:00 am until finished
