TEXAS — Mary Ibarra is a nonpartisan poll monitor with the ACLU, different from a partisan poll watcher allowed inside the building. Still, Ibarra is one of the many eyes at a polling location watching to ensure a smooth and secure voting experience.

What You Need To Know

  • From poll monitors to paper ballots, Texas election officials are taking measures to keep voting secure 

  • Paper ballots must be implemented in all Texas voting machines by 2026

  • Elections administrators perform various security checks on ballots, such as testing offline voting machines, both before and after Election Day

  • If there are any issues with any part of casting a ballot, experts suggest asking one of the many volunteers and workers at the polling place for assistance

Poll monitors “get a good idea of how things are going on the ground,” she said.

The Texas Secretary of State says, “Texas leads the way when it comes to election security.”

Elections administrators perform various security checks on ballots, such as testing offline voting machines, both before and after Election Day. In counties with more than 100,000 residents, live streaming of vote counting and ballot storage takes place.

Counties still often add their own pre-election precautions.

“Sometimes election security is a smokescreen, especially when we already have so many things in place in our state,” said Emily French with Common Cause Texas.

Even with the safeguards in place, county clerks worry about the public’s increased scrutiny of the election process.

“Unfortunately, because of the lies spread through misinformation questioning the election and election fraud over the last, you know, eight years, essentially,” said Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado.

This year, paper ballots could increase public trust in election security. Ninety-eight percent of Americans are expected to vote with paper ballots through direct electronic voting systems that print a paper trail.

“Paper can’t be hacked in the way that electronic things can be. But paper ballots are really important because they give us multiple ways to count things,” said Christopher Mann with The Center for Election Innovation & Research.

With paper ballots, voters can also review their selections before their vote is counted in a machine.

In Tarrant County, a voter found his selections inaccurate, but because of the paper ballot, it was able to be fixed.

“The individual notified the lead clerk that they needed to spoil their ballot, and they were issued a new ballot,” Tarrant County elections administrator Clint Ludwig.

Paper ballots must be implemented in all Texas voting machines by 2026, and this year only six counties will have in-person voters use a system that doesn’t rely on paper ballots.

The mandate is unfunded, and in Burnet County it will cost around $1 million for the county to replace its current equipment.

“If we’re gong to spend this money we want to know for sure before we do it,” said Burnet County elections administrator Doug Ferguson.

Burnet County plans to switch their voting system at the beginning of 2025.

If there are any issues with any part of casting a ballot, experts suggest asking one of the many volunteers and workers at the polling place for assistance.