As communities across the state prepare for early voting to begin this month for the Aug. 4 Primary, election officials have begun conducting mandatory pre-election testing of voting machines to ensure all goes smoothly.
Michigan’s early voting period begins July 24, allowing voters who may be unable to cast their ballot on Election Day to still vote in-person.
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Pre-election testing of voting machines is open to the public, and must be conducted at least five days before early voting begins. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says this allows voters to see first-hand how tabulators securely count ballots, and helps voters feel more involved in the election process.
“The more we know about how our elections work, the more confidence we can have in knowing they are safe and fair,” she said. “I encourage everyone to reach out to their local clerk, find out when their community’s testing is scheduled and see our election protections firsthand.”
As part of the process, local clerks will run a set of test ballots through the machine to verify it’s programmed correctly and operating as expected. Afterwards, the test materials are securely stored and kept separate from early voting and Election Day materials, according to the state.
“Right now, clerks across the state are performing public tests of every community’s election equipment to make sure it’s working properly and counting votes accurately ahead of the August Primary,” said Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, in a news release. “Clerks do this testing before every election and are available to answer questions people may have about the security of the machines.”
Michigan law requires the use of paper ballots for every election and for the ballots to be machine-counted. Each county clerk is responsible for selecting, purchasing and maintaining their own certified election equipment from a qualifying vendor.
To learn more about the election equipment used in Michigan or to find your local clerk’s office, visit mi.gov/vote.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Check here.
Quick links from the state about early voting: