DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – More than a dozen voting machines in Duval County were tested for accuracy Saturday morning ahead of November’s general election.
The test, called the “Logic and Accuracy Testing,” was open to the public and every county in Florida is required to do it.
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Inside the Duval County Elections Center on Jacksonville’s Northside, the voting machines were tested to make sure they work correctly — ensuring that every voter’s ballot will count in November’s general election.
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Keith Garrett was one of many voters who attended the test.
“If you do not have trust where are in the election, and you cannot trust the results, why bother to have them?” Garrett said. “We are making an honest effort in this state to have honest elections that people can trust.”
Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said the machines are randomly selected. It’s one from each of the 14 city council districts, one tabulator from an early voting location, and all four of the high-speed tabulators used for vote-by-mail ballots.
“It is testing also, does the machine reject an ove vote, which means you voted for two when you should only vote for one? It is testing that equipment in front of the public to show them that our equipment is accurate and will be accurate on election day,” Holland said. “They can ask any questions right now and again that they feel comfortable that their vote is going to count and it is going to be accurate.”
Also, among the attendees, was court judge Rhona Peoples-Waters, who helped monitor the testing and took notes of what was happening.
“You see all of the work that is put in from the Supervisor of Elections Office and the staff. It is amazing to see how all of the votes are collected, and the effort that is put in to make sure that every vote counts,” Peoples-Waters said.
Holland said testing from all of these automated machines revealed that every piece of equipment is working properly ahead of the general election and said all of the numbers tested were 100% accurate.
He said that accuracy is imperative in an election where:
- Currently in Duval County, there are more than 646,000 registered voters ahead of the election
- Holland is anticipating anywhere between 75-80% of them turning out on election day
“We have one of our candidates running for soil water and conservation board. She is here to make sure the process is accurate. We want to make sure that candidates at the end of the night know that their results are accurate and they can trust those results,” Holland said.
Holland also said voters will be mailed sample ballots starting on Monday.