Election Accuracy & Security

Mason County uses Clear Ballot to tally our ballots.  It’s a state of the art system that is certified by both the federal government and the Washington Secretary of State.  We use version 2.1 of Clear Vote software.  Additional information about the security features of the Clear Ballot system are available here. 

There are several ways that we ensure that our system is not tampered with.  It is not connected to the internet.  We use cleaned thumb drives provided by the Secretary of State’s office to download information from our Clear Ballot system.  The thumb drives are single use, to ensure that they do not contain any viruses or malware.  Our ballot processing center and the server room have a 24/7 security system so we get instantaneous alerts if there is movement after hours and recordings that we archive with each election

We test our tabulation system at least twice every election. The first test is called a Logic and Accuracy Test and it is conducted prior to the election. The second test is called a Random Batch Audit, which is conducted the morning after each election. Descriptions and examples of these tests are provided below.

Logic & Accuracy Testing

Prior to every election, before actual ballots are tabulated, our tabulation system and the Assisted Voting Unit are tested for accuracy. Using a prescribed matrix of votes, sample ballots are marked, scanned, and then tabulated. The totals from the original matrix are then compared to the tabulated votes to ensure the system is counting ballots accurately. Once the test is successfully completed documents attesting to the tabulation system’s accuracy are signed by elections officials and witnesses. All Logic and Accuracy Tests for elections that include state or federal measures/candidates are overseen by representatives from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Random Batch Audit

Mason County conducts post-election audits after every election, where precincts and races are selected at random and votes are hand counted. These totals are then compared to the machine county to ensure they match before the election is certified.

Risk Limiting Audits

Mason County has been working with the Washington Secretary of State to pilot another type of post-election audit, called a risk limiting audit.  The Secretary of State uses a tool called Arlo to randomize the risk limiting audit. 

All tests are open to the public and announced through press releases and on the Observer page.

Mason County Elections follows all the security procedures prescribed in Washington State law and suggested by the Secretary of State to ensure that ballots and election tabulation equipment are kept safe and tamper-proof. In addition, Mason County is a member of the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, so that we have up to date information about all cyber and other threats to our election systems. 

All elections staff and temporary election workers are trained in these procedures and they each take sworn oaths to follow them.  For example, during an election period, there are always two people present when ballots are unsealed and being processed and ballot drop boxes and storage areas are sealed with numbered seals that we track to ensure chain of custody.   

In addition to security procedures, our office has installed video cameras in our ballot processing room. During an election, the public can watch a 24/7 live-stream of this area, including the vault in which ballots are sealed. Links to the ballot processing room live-stream are located on the current election page or observer page.

Washington’s voter registration system (VoteWA) is continuously updated by all 39 county election staffs as well as the Office of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State works with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Licensing, the Department of Health, the Department of Corrections, and the Office of the Administrator of the Courts to improve the accuracy of voter registration data.

The Secretary of State’s Office regularly provides counties with lists of voters who need to be removed from the voter rolls. These lists include deceased voters, voters in custody of the Department of Corrections, or voters who may be registered in more than one county.

Additionally, Washington State is a member of ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center) that compares voter registration and motor vehicle license data across 30 other states. ERIC uses sophisticated data matching software. ERIC reports can detect when a voter is registered in another state.

With all that said, we still rely on voters to keep their voter registration records updated. If you move or change your name, please visit VoteWA.gov

If a member of your household has died and a ballot is mailed to them, please mark the ballot as undeliverable and write, “deceased” on the envelope. If a ballot is mailed to your home in the name of someone who doesn’t reside with you, please mark the ballot as undeliverable.

The Canvassing Board has the legal responsibility to certify elections and determine what ballots are counted in an election. The Mason County Canvassing Board is made up of the County Auditor, the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, and the County Prosecuting Attorney. The Mason County Board has delegated to the election staff the authority to accept ballots where the signature on the envelope matches what is on the voter registration card. The Board has retained authority to reject ballots.

The Board has two meetings after each election. In the first, the Board goes through the ballots the staff has referred for possible rejection and makes a final determination about whether to count each ballot. The following day, the board meets again to certify the election. All meetings are subject to the Open Meeting Law and are available via live stream.