How can I be sure my vote is accurately and securely counted?

There are many safeguards in place before, during, and after an election to ensure all valid votes cast in person and by mail are counted accurately and securely.

Election officials work year-round to plan for every possibility and make sure your vote is secure and counted accurately. Here are some of the safeguards in place to make sure every vote is accurately and securely counted.

Before an election:

• Voting and ballot counting machines in every jurisdiction are tested before each election to make sure they work properly. These tests are often called “logic and accuracy tests.”
• Election workers are trained to perform their duties securely, accurately, and transparently in accordance with the law.

During an election:

• Nearly every jurisdiction creates a paper record of each voter’s ballot. (Only Louisiana and a few counties in Texas do not!) Paper records let voters and officials confirm that votes were counted accurately.
• Voting machines are not connected to the internet to prevent hacking attempts and other possible disruptions.
• Election workers follow strict chain of custody procedures to securely transport and store ballots and voting machines. These procedures prevent unauthorized access to election materials and ensure that ballots are always accounted for.
• If there’s ever any problem with a voting machine, election workers follow state laws to make sure all ballots are counted correctly.
• If a natural disaster, power outage, bad weather, or other issue comes up, election officials follow plans put in place long before the election to make sure every voter gets to vote and every vote is counted.

After an election:

• Election officials in every jurisdiction conduct a canvass to review materials and make sure vote counts are accurate and complete. Any possible errors in the initial vote count are checked and resolved during the canvass.
• Election officials conduct post-election audits in nearly every state. Audits verify that votes were counted accurately and provide another check that voting and ballot-counting machines worked properly during the election.

For additional information:

• Center for Election Innovation & Research, “What Happens After We Vote”
• Elections Group, “Chain of Custody”
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Voting System Security Measures”
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Guide to the Canvass”
• Verified Voting, “Paper Records”
• Vote.gov, “Your Vote is Safe”