LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
PARIS – When voters across Edgar County head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, they will expect their vote to be recorded accurately. Anna Riegelein’s job is to make sure those expectations are met.
As an account manager at Liberty Systems LLC, Riegelein conducts state-mandated tests to ensure each tabulator (electronic vote counter) operates properly ahead of Election Day. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Riegelein joined Edgar County Clerk and Recorder August Griffin to conduct a public test of tabulators from five of the county’s 31 precincts.
The testing process may appear mundane, but it is crucial to the continued survival of democracy.
Riegelein subjected each tabulator to a logic and accuracy test, in which a bundle of marked ballots with predetermined selections, called a test deck, was run through the machines to simulate Election Day and prove their accuracy.
Wednesday’s test run netted positive results for Griffin and Riegelein, who each carefully monitored the long tapes of mock votes, similar to receipts in appearance, printed by each machine.
To ensure security, tabulators, like those provided by Liberty Systems, are programmed to only accept ballots from their respective precincts, and will only properly record and store votes on Election Day. With party representatives present to supervise, results are transferred via an encrypted data drive to an “air-gapped” laptop, a device that cannot connect to a wireless network, to be processed.
Limiting remote access prevents tampering, according to Riegelein. Any attempt by an external device to connect to the laptop would be thwarted quickly.
“If anyone tried to get in (to the laptop), this thing would become a brick,” Reigelein said.
Additionally, the encrypted drive containing the election results is only compatible with the system used on the laptop, adding another layer of protection.
In addition to ensuring each tabulator is ready to facilitate democracy, tests like those conducted earlier this week provide peace of mind for voters in attendance.
“That’s why we do it for the public, so they know these are accurate,” Reigelein explained.
Claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race spread like wildfire, and have lingered among a portion of voters since that time. Despite the claims, which have since been debunked, Reigelein remains confident in the system she’s worked with for the last nine years.
“We’re always there to support our county clerks … The way we do things and operate has not changed, because we’ve always been transparent with our process,” she told a Prairie Press reporter.
Local officials also prioritize transparency through processes like “retabulation” – a recount of five percent of the county’s precincts to double-check the results and ensure their accuracy. The recount occurs 14 days after the initial vote.
“That’s how we verify Election Day results,” Griffin said.
In addition to traditional paper ballots, voters can expect to see touch-screen voting machines at polling locations across Edgar County. Riegelein observed that, despite some hesitance among voters to try the newer machines, they are a great tool for the visually impaired, or for anyone who prefers to tackle the races and votes on their ballot one at a time.
“I have found if you have a tablet or smartphone, it works the same way,” she said. “You have one race per page, so it really magnifies it … you can just zoom right through it.”
Regardless of a citizen’s preferred method of casting their vote, Reigelein hopes voters understand the process.
“Everything with the election is public knowledge. That’s why public tests exist – to keep everything transparent with the County Clerk and everyone who lives here,” she said.
Griffin hopes any and all eligible voters in Edgar County hit the polls on Election Day.
“I encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote in what is being called the most significant election in recent history,” he said.
Edgar County residents will have their opportunity to make their voice heard on Tuesday, Nov. 5 when polls open across the county. To check your voter registration status or to find your polling place, visit ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup.aspx. Questions can be directed to Griffin’s office by phone at 217-466-7433.
Polling places in Edgar County include:
All polling places are handicap accessible and will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
For Paris residents in need of transportation to a polling center, call 217-465-5614 to sign up for a free ride courtesy of Lake Ridge Christian Church. Rides will be given at the following times: