Election Board Secretary and County Clerk Ann Torpy, right, demonstrates one of the county’s MicroVote machines. From Torpy’s right are Jack Brunetto and Kosciukso County Election Board member Austin Rovenstine. Charlie Wagner, far left, observes the election board’s test.

Text and Photos
By Patrick Webb
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Eleven machines were tested on Wednesday, March 27, as part of the Kosciusko County Election’s equipment test for the primary election.

According to Election Board Secretary and County Clerk Ann Torpy, the 11 machines were randomly chosen out of the county’s 220 voting machines by Ball State University’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program.

“They work with the secretary of state to get our voting machines verified,” said Torpy. “And they work with the Federal Election Commission to get standards on the certification of those machines.”

Torpy said 165 machines will be used for the primary election. The remaining machines are stored and ready to go if they’re needed, such as for extra demand at polling locations.

“(The machines) have to be tested before every election,” said Torpy, or they’re not allowed to be used for upcoming elections, which includes for early voting, and the primary and fall elections. If machines are not tested, paper ballots must be used.

On voting days, poll voters will insert a card into the voting machines, which Torpy described as similar to an ATM. Voters will press a button next to candidates’ names to select their vote. Vote selections are transferred to a paper copy, where voters can verify the selections.

One of the 11 MicroVote machines being tested Wednesday, March 27.

Torpy said that voters have one option to void the ballot to go back and make corrections. If there is still a mistake, voters can hit cancel voting and a poll worker will help them restart their vote. The ballot printer lists voided ballots as cancelled ballots, which are not counted.

The county’s voting machines include a paper back-up for recounts and audits. Torpy said that VSTOP and the Indiana Election Division will audit the election equipment June 5, which is estimated to take one day.

Previous audits of the same Microvote machines used in Lake and Elkhart Counties, which used 11% of the equipment, came back with a 100% accurate capture of votes. Torpy said more details on the audit would be released in the near future.

The equipment was tested by Torpy; County Election Board Member Austin Rovenstine, Republican member; and Jack Brunetto, filling in for Democratic board member Bill Morton. Representatives from MicroVote General Corporation, the manufacturers of the election board’s machines, were present as machine technicians. Members of the public were also welcome to observe the testing.

Charlie Wagner, a resident who described himself as a “concerned citizen,” observed the election equipment testing. Wagner said he came to “learn how the system was,” and that he was “more comfortable than I previously was.”

Torpy encouraged other members of the public who had concerns about vote counting to observe the public tests.

Election Board Secretary and County Clerk Ann Torpy tests one of the MicroVote machines.

“When we have voters who are concerned with (votes being counted), we ask them to come to our public tests,” said Torpy. “I think at the time they didn’t realize these machines were being tested that way. So once they realized there was a public test done, I think they were a little more confident in the results of the election and how the county election board (runs elections) in our county.”

Upcoming Election Date Deadlines

According to Torpy, April 8 is the last day for residents not currently registered and residents who changed names or address, to register for the primary election. Early voting starts April 9 in the Kosciusko County Justice Building, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, across from the clerk’s office.

11:59 p.m. April 25, is the last day for applications for mail-in ballots, which must be in the office or submitted online before midnight.

Early voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 4, in the Justice Building and the North Webster Community Center, 301 N. Main St. The last day to vote early is noon May 6.

Primary election voting will be May 7.

Voter registration will reopen May 21 to Oct. 7, for the general election in November. May 21 is also the first day applications for absentee ballots can be accepted for the general election.

School board filing can be filed 8 a.m. May 21 to noon June 20.

Charlie Wagner, left, observes Jack Brunetto test one of the MicroVote machines. Austin Rovenstine, right, places vote selections into another MicroVote machine.