Marin Voice: Marin registrar explains steps to ensure election integrity

Early voting started Oct. 7 for the presidential election, and integrity is an important part of the process. Election integrity ensures that legitimate, registered voters can cast a ballot without coercion or corruption and that one ballot per eligible voter is properly counted and reported.

The Marin County Elections Department has a long-standing reputation of election integrity as evidenced by positive feedback received during every election and throughout the year. For example, during the November 2022 election, residents observing in our department had the opportunity to complete a survey asking about their experience. Thirty observers participated, and 100% of the responses confirmed the processes they witnessed were labeled as good, very good or excellent. During this current election season, we will continue to follow well-established procedures and safeguards to ensure election integrity.

We continuously process registration forms and maintain voter rolls as required by state and federal law. Registration updates are prompted by voter notification and official government sources, including the U.S. Postal Service’s national “change of address” program. When we receive undeliverable election mail, the voter’s registration status is changed to inactive, so they no longer receive voting materials.The centralized statewide voter registration database checks registrations against official records and is regularly updated.

Voting systems in California undergo rigorous testing, including source-code review and evaluation; hardware and software security testing; vulnerability testing; and operational testing to validate performance and functionality. Voting systems and tabulators are not connected to the internet, nor do they have modems or hardware that could allow them to be connected. Secure software is provided by the California secretary of state. Vote-counting equipment is tested before each election to ensure it will accurately tally ballots. After the election, at least 1% of ballots cast are manually counted to confirm accuracy of the equipment count.

Paper ballots allow voters to review their choices, plus they create a paper audit trail and give elections officials a way to confirm the accuracy of tabulation. The secretary of state conducts election night reporting tests with each county to confirm that results will be reported accurately, and tracks returned ballots through the statewide voter registration database.  Signatures are verified on all mail-in ballot envelopes, and voters may sign up for the free ballot tracking service offered by the Office of the Secretary of State to track when their ballot is mailed to them and when we process it. Sign up at california.ballottrax.net.

Ballots and other materials are not mailed to canceled or inactive voters. A canceled voter must re-register to vote, and an inactive voter would have to respond to a department mailing, come in person to the Elections Department to re-activate their registration, or show up at a vote center and vote a provisional ballot, which would not be counted until registration and voting were verified.

A first-time voter who does not provide a California driver’s license, a state identification number or the last four digits of their social security number when they register to vote must provide identification prior to voting in a federal election according to the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Check-in procedures at vote centers include verifying that the voter has not already voted by mail or at another vote center. Once a ballot is issued at a vote center, the voter’s history is updated so they cannot get another ballot or vote by mail. When vote-by-mail ballots are processed, a voter’s record is updated to show they already voted and another ballot cannot be processed — either in person or by mail.

Ballot-handling procedures require at least two people to be present when processing ballots or retrieving them from drop boxes or the post office. Ballots are stored in secure and alarmed areas. Election technology, too, must adhere to strict chain-of-custody procedures and only authorized elections staff have access to systems. Ballot drop boxes are physically secured (either bolted or chained) and monitored. Vote-by-mail ballots are processed in a way that ensures voter privacy.

Observers are always welcome to watch election staff process ballots and ask questions. The schedule of activities is posted at marinvotes.org.

Marin County Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts authored this viewpoint with members of the Registrar’s Election Advisory Committee.