Marion County election equipment tested

Marion County election equipment put to the test

INDIANPOLIS (WISH) — Marion County election equipment was put to the test Friday morning. The test comes just four days before early voting begins.

The testing occurred at the city’s Election Board Service Center on the city’s eastside.

According to county clerk Kate Sweeney Bell, there are 644,359 registered voters in the county. That’s up about 2,000 since this year’s primary.

State law requires the county to publicly test 5% of the equipment. Marion County election staff chooses to test every voting machine that will be used on election day to ensure its accuracy.

The county has about 2,400 ballet marking devices, called Express Votes, and there are about 200 ballot tabulators.

“If there is a problem, we know ahead of time before the election,” Sweeney Bell said. “We don’t anticipate that, but that’s what the test is for. Each and every machine that we have is going to work.”

The testing process begins when staff accounts for mock predetermined ballots. The ballots are then run through a typical voting process and staff ensures they produce the expected outcome.

Making sure every vote is counted accurately and voters are confident in the process is key to increasing voter turnout in the state.

“We are almost dead last in voter turnout, and I know that Indianapolis can do better,” Sweeney Bell said. “I know we can, if the voters know that their vote matters, and it does.”

Indianapolis voter Logan Binnewies came out to see the testing.

“I appreciate that it is open to the public so we can see ‘Oh this how we do it, full transparency,’” Binnewies said.

Binnewies is considering volunteering at the polls on election day. Sweeney Bell said the county still needs about 1,000 poll workers to volunteer ahead of Nov. 5.

“I feel like it will be a more effective way for me to actually exercise my Democratic vote instead of just voting, because I believe that like voting is a beginning of conversation, not the end,” Binnewies said.

For a full list of the 186 voting locations and instructions on registering to vote, click here.