As Election Day approaches, many South Florida residents have cast their votes and are curious about what happens to their ballots once they are submitted in Broward County. Joe Scott, Broward County Supervisor of Elections, ensures that the voting process is secure to accurately reflect the voters’ intentions.
When you vote by mail, your ballot goes through a meticulous process. First, it is received in a mailroom where the barcode is scanned, and the signature on the envelope is checked against the voter’s file. If there is a discrepancy, the voter will be contacted. The envelope is then opened, and the ballot is placed inside a secrecy sleeve to maintain anonymity. Once separated, the ballot cannot be linked back to the voter.
The ballots are then scanned into tabulation machines to collect the numbers. For those who vote in person, the process is similar, with the ballot being fed into a recording machine before being sent back to headquarters. Paper ballots from early voters are already stored and will be divided by precinct for auditing and future storage.
Surveillance cameras are present in all rooms where ballots are handled, including the warehouse. The headquarters features a transparency corridor where the process can be observed through glass windows. The tabulation machines are not connected to the internet to ensure security.
All paper ballots undergo an audit on a separate server without internet access. On Election Day, results are not released until 7 p.m. to comply with regulations. The ballots are stored for 22 months in case of a recount.
If you have voted by mail in Miami-Dade or Broward Counties, you can verify that your ballot was counted by visiting the Supervisor of Election website. Stay informed with the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter for updates directly to your inbox.
