The Hamilton County Board of Elections tested its central vote-counting system Thursday morning, Oct. 29, ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election.
The public test began at 9 a.m. at the board's offices at 4700 Smith Rd. in Norwood. The board announced the event on its official X account, calling the tests "a great way to see democracy in action."
Sherry Poland, director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, told WLWT the test is part of a larger process. "This is just one step in a series of logic and accuracy tests," Poland said.
Poland said the tabulation room machines are not connected to the internet, a safeguard against cyberattacks. No piece of voting equipment used in the election can connect to the internet, she said.
The tests were open to the public.
A bipartisan team handles ballot transport on election night, Poland said. She also said the board printed enough ballots to accommodate 100 percent voter turnout, so no polling place should run out.
Separately, every piece of equipment, down to the power cords, gets tested before it ships to one of the county's 563 precincts, according to Poland.
What residents should know
The county’s election preparations cover voters in Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout. The logic-and-accuracy testing checks that equipment correctly records and counts predetermined test votes before the election.
The board has stressed that equipment testing includes verification and signoff by Republican and Democratic workers. In a behind-the-scenes visit reported by WCPO on Oct. 26, warehouse workers demonstrated how they boot up each machine, check the ballot display and print a sample to verify it matches. Both a Republican and a Democrat sign off on the results.
"We've been working really hard all summer, and we're ready," Poland told WLWT.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can check their polling location and ballot at votehamiltoncountyohio.gov.
