More than 8.6mil people are registered to vote in Pennsylvania. Secretary of State Pedro Cortes expects the 2016 election to draw record numbers.
“It’s a major undertaking, but the good thing is that county election personnel are very professional,” Cortes said. :They know what they’re doing. They take great pride in the process, and our goal is to ensure a fair, secure and smooth election.”
In recent weeks, Presidential Republican Candidate Donald Trump said if he loses, it is proof the system is rigged. Pennsylvania is a key state, and stakes are high, but Cortes said there is nothing to worry about.
“Those are unfounded statements that are potentially scaring or creating doubt that’s not really there, and I think that’s why the experts are coming out and saying that’s not the case,” he said.
Cortes admitted the voting process is not fool-proof, but he said it is close.
In Pennsylvania, all voting systems are electronic; citizens can use a touch screen machine or the optical scan (think of the fill-in-the-bubble ScanTron used in standardized testing).
Bedford County, for example, still uses paper.
“We have a lot of older voters in the county,” said Bedford County Director of Elections Debra Brown. “It’s a big area for older people and that’s just something they’re used to and accustomed to and some of them don’t like change.”
“Once you certify the voting equipment, the counties use what they feel is best for them and their voters,” Cortes said. “So it’s part of the county autonomy because we recognize that what may work for Philadelphia may not work for Forest County.”
There are more checks and balances than you may think in making sure voter fraud doesn’t happen in Pennsylvania.
“By technology standards, [the machines] are aging,” Cortes said. “The good thing is that the machines have been well kept. The counties take good care of their equipment. They have maintenance protocols and keep them in the proper conditions.”
You cannot hack the machines; they are not connected to the internet and are not connected to one another. If someone wanted to change votes, they would have to go into the booth and try to tamper with the machine, which would take awhile. Plus, over 40,000 polls workers are watching with careful eyes.
“The question is: what’s the incentive to do that?” Cortes asked. “If you do that and you get caught, you’ll be prosecuted and very likely you’ll face jail time and very steep fines.”
There are almost 25,000 machines pre-checked and waiting to be used in the upcoming election. Those machines are locked and transported to 9,200 polling places with a strict chain of custody. Vote totals will be transported in tamper-proof bags.
“I don’t see any problems right now,” Brown said. “I think everything’s running as smoothly as it can.”
Cortes said there is no proven systemic voter fraud in the country. When you vote, your identity is verified (through a number of ways, like signature, showing a form of identification, etc.). You are “checked out” and the machines are, too.
This election will be no different.
“It’s a major undertaking with machines and people, but the reality is that the history in Pennsylvania in terms of conducting elections and administering elections has been sound, has been, in fact, fair and accurate,” Cortes said.
He added voters should make sure to check they are registered and determine where their polling location is before heading out to vote on November 8th, 2016.
