With Election Day two weeks away, San Diego County election officials are trying to reassure the public that their ballots will be counted accurately.
Tuesday they performed what's called a public Logic and Accuracy Test. It’s an inside look to instill confidence in the democratic process ahead of Election Day.
“I don't have a lack of trust but I would like to have as much information as possible to communicate with people about why they can trust elections,” said San Diego County resident Katey Alexander.
It was her first time taking part in the test. Alexander was one of a handful of members of the public and local officials who attended the event.
Their role was to fill out mock ballots and then observe as they were tallied.
“They have all these protocols in place to make sure that the ballots are counted and that signatures match and that the elections are fair,” Alexander said.
The full public logic and accuracy testing took place a few weeks back with over 150,000 test ballots, but Tuesday’s offering was a condensed version for anyone in the public to take part in.
“What we will be doing today is … voting on blank ballots, tabulating them by hand and then using them to scan in the tabulation system to compare the two,” said San Diego County Assistant Registrar of Voters Shawn Brom.
He said the tests are to ensure all the equipment functions as expected to properly count votes.
“It is another measure of clear and transparent elections, showing the accuracy and validity of the tabulation system,” Brom said.
Alexander said the testing also helps to dispel false narratives about election security.
“There was never any discussion of candidates, there was never any discussion of politics. It was all about how to manage ballots and make sure they are all counted,” she said.
Brom said the registrar has offered the public logic and accuracy tests ahead of other recent elections too. The 2024 presidential election is Nov. 5.
