Elections

Harris County Clerk Says Voting Systems Are Secure for Midterm Election

Officials say they have multiple systems in place to make sure the election isn’t compromised and people should feel confident their vote will be counted.

| Posted on (Last Updated: )

County Clerk Stan Stanart predicts up to a million Harris County residents could be casting ballots in a string of hotly-contested races.

Stanart said he doesn’t want anyone to stay home because they’re afraid their vote won’t count.

“You can have confidence in our systems,” said Stanart. “All our software is certified by the Secretary of State and the Federal Elections Assistance Commission. Before each use of any of the voting equipment, there’s seals, there’s chains of custodies. There are all kinds of processes in place to ensure that the vote is kept safe and secure.”

Stanart said votes are stored in an encrypted database and they run multiple tests to make sure the system is working properly. They also have numerous people monitoring the process.

“On Election Day, at the end of the day, after the polls are closed, the judge and the alternate judge will each print out the results of every race that was voted at their polling place that day,” explained Stanart. “They actually get to keep those results and they then can compare to what we post on harrisvotes.com later when we break down by precinct.”

Early voting in Harris County runs from October 22 to November 2. Election Day is November 6. If you’re not sure where to vote, you can find that information on the HarrisVotes website.

Stanart suggests you also print out a ballot and mark your choices before going into the voting booth.

“Please do your homework because it’s a very long ballot,” said Stanart.

 

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Gail Delaughter

Transportation Reporter

From early-morning interviews with commuters to walks through muddy construction sites, Gail covers all aspects of getting around Houston. That includes walking, driving, cycling, taking the bus, and occasionally flying. Before she became transportation reporter in 2011, Gail hosted weekend programs for Houston Public Media. She's also covered courts in...

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