County election directors don’t see voter fraud in area
Local election officials say that despite President Donald Trump’s creation of a commission to study state voting processes, they have not been asked to provide information, and voter fraud is not an issue in area counties.
Trump recently created the Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to study state voter registration and voting processes to make recommendations to eliminate vulnerabilities for voter fraud.
Trump claims as many as 3-5 million illegal ballots were cast in the 2016 federal election.
Some states have denied the commission’s request for registration and voting information.
Larry Spahr, director of the Washington County elections office, said his office hasn’t been contacted in regard to the inquiry.
“We’ve never experienced anything here in Washington County that I’m aware of to a significant level,” Spahr said.
Larry Blosser, Fayette County election bureau director, said, however, the machines are secure in the county, preventing any issues.
“The machines can’t be hacked,” Blosser said. “We’re not hooked up to the Internet.”
In addition, Fayette County’s voting machines are tested before and after every election to make sure they work properly and give accurate results, he said.
For those reasons, he said he doesn’t not believe a federal inquiry into voter fraud is needed.
Most of the county election directors that he knows in the state including those surrounding Fayette County do not use voting machines that are connected to the Internet, he said.
Since 2006, the year the county debuted electronic voting machines as replacements for lever machines, each of the approximately 450 machines and their programs are tested before and after every election, he said.
That includes the 218 direct recording equipment (DRE) voting machines, 114 E-scan machines for scanning paper ballots, judge booth controller (JBC) machines in each precinct, which assign a code to each voter, and the emergency, back up scanning system, Blosser said.
The tests are called accuracy and logic tests, in which a test ballot is used. Each machine must give the same results, he said.
One pre-election equipment test is advertised and held in public, but Blosser said no one usually attends.
One precinct is selected at random for an audit during every election, but no problems have been detected, Blosser said.
Ballots also are checked at least six times before an election, he said.
“There are so many checks and balances,” Blosser said.
Tina Kiger, director of the Greene County office of elections and voter registration, said her office hasn’t been asked to provide information for the federal inquiry and she doesn’t believe voter fraud is a problem.
“I do not think there is a problem. I’m sure there are a few cases here and there. We’ve never had any that I know of,” Kiger said.
While Spahr said he doesn’t feel voter fraud is an issue, he does see bigger issues, such as changes that would require voters to prove their are American citizens.
“At no time are perspective voters required to prove they are citizens. I think that’s one of the biggest loopholes in the voter registration system,” Spahr said. “It’s one thing in my opinion that has to be looked at.”