10 Facts About Election Security in North Carolina
- No Evidence of Successful Attack: No election system or voting system in the state has ever been the target of a successful cyberattack.
- Partnerships: Elections officials are in regular contact and have strong and growing relationships with partners in federal and state governments, who assist with cyber and physical security, share information, plan for election events and respond to incidents.
- Paper Ballots: Under state law, all 100 counties use paper ballots, producing a paper trail which can be easily audited or recounted. By federal law, ballot marking devices must be available at every polling place for any voter who needs or wishes to use one to mark a ballot.
- Certified Voting Systems: All voting systems used in North Carolina are certified by the State Board of Elections after extensive testing and public demonstrations, and must be approved by county officials before purchase. Voting systems used in North Carolina meet all applicable federal regulations governing voting systems and are certified, used, and audited in other states.
- No Internet or Modems: By state law, voting machines may not be connected to the internet, limiting the possibility of cyber interference. No voting machine in North Carolina contains a modem or modem chip.
- Logic and Accuracy Testing: Before every election, county boards of elections conduct logic and accuracy tests on every voting machine that will be used in the election to ensure proper coding of ballots and counting of votes for every contest on the ballot.
- Bipartisan, Trained Officials: Every polling place is staffed with bipartisan, trained officials from the local community who take an oath to uphold state elections laws and work together to ensure election security. Bipartisan State and County Boards of Elections oversee all aspects of elections. Bipartisan election observers also witness the voting process.
- Post-Election Audits: After every election and before results are certified, the State and County Boards of Elections conduct multiple checks designed to detect irregularities, such as equipment tampering, ballot stuffing, and voting machine or tabulation errors. In the sample hand-count audit, for example, two voting sites are selected at random in every county, counted by hand by bipartisan teams, and compared with the machine-counted results. This audit helps confirm the accuracy of voting equipment.
- Investigations Division: North Carolina is one of few states with a dedicated Investigations Division, which is staffed by experienced professionals who investigate reports of fraud and other irregularities and refers cases to prosecutors when warranted by evidence.
- Informed Voters: Every voter can help promote election security by voting, checking their ballot before casting it, reporting problems with the voting process to poll workers and volunteering to work in elections. Also, voters should get information on elections from trusted sources, particularly elections officials, and verify information about elections before sharing it on social media. Election-related misinformation is rampant.