Carver County, MN
Home MenuElection Integrity and Security Overview and FAQs
The information below outlines key safeguards that are in place to maintain secure elections in Carver County:
BALLOTS & EQUIPMENT:
All voters in Carver County use paper ballots, creating an auditable paper trail that allows for independent verification of election results using hand-count methods. Carver County uses the ES&S Digital Scan 200 (used at polling places on election day and during the direct balloting absentee process) and the Digital Scan 450 (used for central counting of absentee ballots) to count and tabulate ballots. ES&S is one of three vendors with ballot counters that have been tested and certified by test labs accredited by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and tested and certified by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State for use in Minnesota elections.
Q: Does Carver County use paper ballots?
A: Carver County uses paper ballots that are marked by the voter and then counted by computerized ballot counters.
EQUIPMENT TESTING:
Before every election, all voting equipment is tested to ensure that each machine is accurately counting the ballots. Pre-marked ballots are fed through each ballot counter, and the results are compared with the pre-determined results. This testing includes validation of accurate results being received by the State. A Public Accuracy Test, that is open to the public, is also conducted. These tests are conducted at either Carver County or the municipality. Dates, times, and locations are published in the paper prior to testing.
Q: Can the public observe election equipment being tested for accuracy before election day?
A: Yes, by law, the equipment testing is open to the public to view. Dates, times, and locations are published in the local papers prior to testing as well as on www.carvercountymn.gov.
EQUIPMENT SECURITY:
By law, ballot counters must be secured physically and electronically against unauthorized access. This includes physical security controls at the county, cities, and at the polling places on Election Day, as well as a prohibition on ballot counters connecting to the Internet.
Q: Are electronic vote counters connected to the Internet at any point?
A: By law, ballot counters are only connected to a secure, double encrypted network when transmitting results after polls have been closed.
Q: Is Carver County’s election equipment vulnerable to hacking?
A: Carver County’s voting systems are designed and built with multiple layers of protection, including physical controls, system hardening, data integrity validation and data encryption.
Q: Are voting machines vulnerable to outside attacks because they are running outdated software?
A: Ensuring security is an important piece of the elections held in Carver County. Before each election, the County updates its election equipment with the latest and most current software that has approved for use in an election.
CLOSE OF POLLS:
After all voters have finished voting and the polls have closed, the ballot counters print multiple copies (“tapes”) of the results. The public is allowed to view the closing of polls process and inspect printed copies of the results. After results tapes have printed, election judges transmit the results electronically to a secured server at Carver County. Polls are closed on absentee tabulation equipment once all legally accepted ballots have been processed and tabulated (no earlier than 8 p.m. election night).
Q: Do Carver County Election Officials know absentee results prior to election day?
A: No, information regarding votes cast during the absentee voting period is unavailable to Carver County election officials until after polls are closed on the absentee equipment.
RESULTS:
Polling place and absentee results are then combined at the County Election Office for each precinct and reported as complete election results to the Minnesota Secretary of State. All results remain unofficial until canvassed by the Carver County Canvassing Board. Original results tapes are proofed and validated prior to the canvass to verify accuracy.
Q: When do election results become official?
A: Results are proofed and validated and only become official when certified by the applicable canvass board(s). Canvass board meetings are open to the public for viewing.
POST-ELECTION REVIEW (AUDIT):
At the meeting of the Carver County Canvassing Board, three precincts are randomly selected to participate in the Post-Election Review (PER). The PER is a statutorily required hand-count audit following each state general election to ensure the ballot counter results are accurate. At the PER, teams of party balanced election judges hand-count the absentee and polling place ballots for each precinct. The hand count must differ by no more than one-half of one percent of the machine count; otherwise, additional review(s) are triggered. The PER is held at the Carver County Government Center and is open to the public.
Q: What have been the results of the PER in Carver County?
A: In every PER, Carver County’s voting machines were determined to have correctly counted the votes. To access a spreadsheet of statewide post-election audit results go here.
These safeguards before, during, and after the election ensure that the voting equipment used for elections in Carver County is safe, secure, and official results are accurate.