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ELECTION SECURITY

2024 ELECTION SECURITY UPDATE FROM SECRETARY OF STATE

Election security is a top priority for our office. We have worked to educate our elections workers through in person training and written materials on the numerous protections that are in place and are required by state law.

Through the use of state approved equipment and training we have developed strong security measures and procedures to secure the integrity of our elections. Below are some of the safeguards we include: 
  • No voting system is ever connected to the Internet at any point - either when votes are cast or when they are being counted.
  • Only software certified by the Texas Secretary of State can be loaded on a computer used for counting or accumulating vote totals.
  • Before and after use each day, all voting systems are sealed with locks and with seals with unique serial numbers, and all election workers must follow proper chain of custody procedures during the election, including a careful tracking of the serial numbers used to seal machines at the end of each period of voting.
  • When voting is occurring, election judges are required to periodically inspect the equipment to ensure there is no tampering or damage to the equipment.
  • The election worker at the poling place must confirm that there are zero votes cast at the opening of voting and at the end of voting they must compare the number of ballots cast to the number of voters that have checked-in. 
  • Poll watchers are allowed to observe at all early voting and election day polling locations and at the central count station where ballots are being counted or vote totals accumulated.
  • Background checks are required for all personnel that prepare, test or service all voting system equipment.
  • All voting systems are tested three times, twice before the machines are used in the election and once immediately after. The tests consist of a deck of ballots being voted on the machine and then tabulated to ensure that the machine results are correct and match the test stack of ballots. The machines cannot be used or deployed until the test is 100% successful. The first test of the voting machines used in an election is open to the public, and notice of this test is published in the local paper.
  • A post-election audit (partial manual count) is required for all elections that have paper ballots. 
  • The Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a manual or electronic recount of any election using electronic voting systems. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE ELECTION CODE CHAPTER 129, SUB-CHAPTER C.

*This information has been furnished by the Secretary of State Office.