Morgantown election staff conduct public logic-and-accuracy test of voting machines

Morgantown election staff conducted a public logic-and-accuracy test of voting machines and paper ballots during a meeting, demonstrating that the machines prevented overvotes and that test ballots will be retained under state code, staff said.

The test covered five sample ballots to exercise common conditions election workers expect on Election Day: preventing overvotes, accepting blank ballots, and recording write-in votes. Staff member 1, election staff, said the test was designed so “you cannot over vote, that you're allowed to vote blank, that you can do a write in if you so choose.”

Officials said they matched paper test ballots to the machine-presented ballot for each precinct and used a blank card for some trials. Staff member 1 described the process for resolving ballots that show conflicting markings: “the machine is not gonna determine the intent. Right? ... That's why we have a review option,” and said election workers would inspect such ballots to determine voter intent mechanically and, where appropriate, mark canceled ballots and apply a resolution procedure.

Staff members demonstrated that when a printed paper ballot presents an overvote the voting system prevents casting multiple selections for the same race. They also showed how a cast ballot prompt gives voters the option to return the ballot and request a replacement or to cast as printed. According to staff, paper test ballots were treated in the same way as mail ballots for the purposes of examination during the test.

During discussion, staff confirmed the ballot order had already been set by a ballot draw before the test and that the printed results on the test printouts matched how the ballots would be presented to actual voters. Staff member 2, election staff, asked procedural questions about candidate order and signature paperwork; staff said paperwork for the public test would be completed and that test materials would be retained “until after the meeting, like, and paying for the state code required amount of time.”

The demonstration concluded with staff confirming the machines behaved as intended and with a note that the office would keep the test ballots and complete required declaration paperwork for the canvass process.

Records and next steps: staff said they would sign required forms for the public test and retain the paper ballots according to the state code retention requirement; no formal vote or policy decision occurred during the session.