Sec. Nelson: Texas is primed for a safe election – Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Hill

On the first day of early voting for the Nov. 5 election, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson — a longtime senator from the Flower Mound state — wants to remind Texans how the state is promoting election security.

“Texas is a leader when it comes to election security and I want voters to know that our state and county officials are ready for the November election,” Nelson said. “Many safety protocols are new and others have been in place for decades, but Texans deserve to know how we are working to secure their votes.”

While not a comprehensive list, Texas has established the following security measures before, during and after the election process, according to a press release from Nelson’s office.

Before

• All voting systems are tested publicly before the machines are used in the election.
• Background checks are required for all employees who prepare, test, or maintain voting system equipment.
• Multi-factor authentication is required to access the statewide voter registration database.
• The state requires annual cybersecurity training for anyone with access to the statewide voter registration database, mandatory reporting of any cybersecurity breach to the Legislature and mandatory security assessments for county election departments.
• Texas continually updates the statewide voter registration database and removes voters who are ineligible to vote due to death, relocation, felony conviction, or lack of U.S. citizenship.
• The Secretary of State may withhold election funds from a county if a voter’s registration is not timely approved, amended, or canceled.
• Texans have the right to challenge the eligibility of any registered voter in their county.
  When Texans register to vote, they must provide a driver’s license number or a state-certified Social Security number.

While

• No voting system is connected to the Internet at any time.
• Counties with a population of 100,000 or more require video recording and live streaming of all areas with cast ballots.
• Before and after daily use, all voting systems are sealed and locked with devices that contain unique serial numbers.
• Poll workers at the polling station must confirm that no votes were cast at the start of voting, and at the end of voting they must compare the number of ballots cast with the number of voters registered on the electoral roll.
• Election observers may observe at all early voting and election day polling locations, as well as at the central counting or collection station where ballots are counted or vote totals are tallied.
• Voters must present ID at the polls to confirm their identity.
• Voters using mail-in ballots must provide their Texas driver’s license or ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when voting.

After

• Re-verification (sometimes manual counting) is required for all elections in which paper ballots are used.
• The Texas Secretary of State’s Division of Elections Audit Program conducts in-depth reviews and audits of election records and documents maintained by county election officials to ensure that election laws and security procedures are properly followed.
• Lawmakers have increased penalties for voter fraud, including making illegal voting a felony.

To learn more about the voting process and find out how to prepare for the election, Texans can visit VoteTexas.gov, the state’s official voting resource.

Click here for more information about voting in Denton County.