Our Voting System

Supervisor Lenhart completed the state-mandated installation of a our new Election Systems and Software (ES&S) voting system in April 2017. This equipment replaced the optical scan tabulators and touch-screen electronic tabulators in use from 1998 - 2016.  All voters in Flagler County now receive a trusted and secure paper ballot in every election.

Our state-certified voting equipment is rigorously tested prior to each election to verify that the equipment will accurately examine, count, and record votes exactly as marked. A public audit is conducted after each election, where ballots are tabulated and compared between two different systems to ensure the machine count is equal to the reported results. Our voting system uses encryption, hash validation, and digital signatures to secure the vote. Learn more about election security here: Flagler County Election Security

What Is A Voting System?

A voting system is a way to cast and count the choices a voter makes on a ballot. A voting system consists of four main parts.

  1. The election management system – This is where the election is made. It includes programming the election, creating ballots, and looking at test results to be sure they are accurate. Election programming takes place at the Elections Office in Flagler County.
  2. The precinct count system – This refers to the part of the system that scans a ballot at a polling place and creates a tally from the voter’s choices for each race on the ballot. In Florida, every voter will receive a paper ballot. The precinct count system includes all of the individual ballot boxes used at early voting sites and precinct voting locations on Election Day.
  3. The central count system - This refers to high-speed scanners, which function like the precinct count system but the process happens at a central facility. Our central count facility is the Elections Office in Flagler County.
  4. An accessible voting solution - Every voting location is equipped with a ballot marking device which serves a dual purpose for both accessible and standard voting. In addition, county Supervisors of Elections also provide electronic ballot delivery for persons with disabilities which allows a voter to remotely use a web application, and their personal device to receive and mark a ballot.

The Florida Secretary of State’s Office approves voting systems for use in Florida. Any voting system used in an election in Florida must first be tested and approved by the Secretary of State’s office before the system can be purchased and used by the county Supervisors of Elections. Learn more about how voting systems are certified in the state of Florida: Division Of Elections Voting Systems Certification

Digital Scan Voting

The Digital Scan Voting System uses paper ballots and is the primary voting system used in Flagler County. With this system, the voter receives a paper ballot inside a secrecy folder. Using the pen provided in the voting booth, the voter records his or her vote by filling in the oval next to the candidate or issue of choice.

Ballots are tabulated using a DS300 digital scan tabulator. After voting, the voter takes his ballot and secrecy sleeve to the ballot box and inserts the ballot into the DS300 machine. The DS300 reads the votes cast and deposits the voted ballot into a locked ballot box. 

With the digital scan voting system, if someone overvotes a race (voting for more candidates or issues than allowed in a race) or if the ballot is completely blank, the ballot is returned. This gives the voter the opportunity to correct their ballot and ensures that every vote counts. The Ballot Box Inspector is an election poll worker in every polling location and stationed nearby, trained and ready to assist the voter if needed.

If the voter makes a mistake on the ballot, they may return that ballot and receive another one. Florida law states that a voter may receive no more than three ballots in an election.

Recounts

If there is a recount because of a close race, the voted ballots are rescanned and the paper ballots can be examined as allowed by law. Election officials must keep ballots, like other election materials, for at least 22 months following the election.

Digital Scan Voting Process

  1. The voter receives the official ballot from the book inspector during check-in at the polling place.
  2. The voter marks his or her ballot in the voting booth.
  3. The voter inserts his or her voted ballot into the DS300 tabulator at the ballot box.
     

Universal Marking Devices

Each polling place in Flagler County is equipped with an accessible ballot marking device with audio capability to allow voters with disabilities to vote in secret and without assistance.

The ExpressVote Universal Voting System utilizes touch-screen technology that produces a paper-based record for tabulation. Headphones are available and the voter can hear the ballot being read and the voter may also use a keypad to make their choices. The ExpressVote machines will not allow a voter to overvote a race and will alert the voter if a race is left blank.

This system also allows the user to choose to magnify the font size on the screen or to choose a contrasted black and white screen. These features allow voters to cast their vote independently while producing a paper ballot for tabulation.

ExpressVote Voting Process

  1. The voter receives a blank ballot from the Book Inspector during check-in at the polling place.
  2. The voter marks his or her ballot in the voting booth using the ExpressVote universal marking device. 
  3. When voting is complete, the ExpressVote produces a paper ballot which is then scanned and counted using the DS300 tabulator.

High-Speed Optical Scanners

Our high-capacity, high-speed digital scan tabulators are located at the Election Office to accurately and efficiently read the large quantities of mail ballots requested by Flagler County voters. These high-speed scanners are also used during recounts. Ballots are tabulated during public meetings of the Canvassing Board and you are welcome to attend! Learn more about the meeting schedule and election canvassing here: Flagler County Election Canvassing Board

 

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