JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — How secure is your vote for the next president of the United States?
As charges of election interference against former president Donald Trump play out in court and a third Republican presidential debate this week gets us closer to a possible nominee, First Coast News is on your side to verify claims about your voting machine and its possible internet connection.
The Duval County supervisor of elections posted on Facebook that new machines will be used to count your ballot. People were quick in the comments to say the machines are connected to the internet. Is this true? Let's Verify.
THE QUESTION
Are ballot tabulators used in Duval County connected to the internet?
THE SOURCES
• Election Systems & Software, or ES&S, the tabulator company
THE ANSWER
We can verify this needs context.
WHAT WE FOUND
"They are not connected to the public Wi-Fi," said Holland. "They are connected through a Verizon cell that goes through a virtual private network that's encrypted."
Holland says the tabulators are only connected to a virtual private network, or VPN, after polls are closed.
ES&S tells First Coast News the same thing in an email. They say this is in order to upload election results quickly.
"It doesn't transmit anything until the end of the night when we close it out," Holland said. "And also when we start the tabulator, we have to run a zero tape, which means there's no votes on it. And then at the end of the night, we'll print the results and actually post those there at the precinct."
ES&S tells First Coast News in an email that modems, which provide internet connection, are not on tabulators by default and are only installed in tabulators in states that allow them, such as Florida.
This is the case for the new tabulators that will be used in Duval County. Holland says the tabulators are a newer, upgraded version of the tabulators currently used, but work faster.
So in conclusion we can verify: The machine that counts your vote is only connected to the internet after polls are closed.