County's election machine retest deemed successful

A retest of Washakie County's DS200 tabulating machines last Friday, Aug. 16, was completed with results meeting all Wyoming state statutes.

On Aug. 12, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray called for a re-test of the DS200 election testing machines in counties that had errors in not meeting specific state statute.

The test is called the Public Logic and Accuracy Test. According to a press release from Gray W.S. 22-11-104(b)(iii) states, '[d]uring the test a different number of valid votes shall be assigned to each candidate for an office, and for and against each measure.' Secretary Gray wrote. "This requirement is not just a formality. It is crucial to ensuring that the electronic voting machines are accurately counting and tabulating the votes for each candidate when the actual ballots are tabulated on election night. Assigning the same number of votes for two or more candidates in the same race is plainly contrary to that statute."

Last Friday, Washakie County conducted their re-test in the courthouse in the commissioners meeting room. Washakie County Clerk Lily Rakness Parra conducted the test. She started the test with an opening statement noting that she had full faith in the machines and their ability to give accurate results. Rakness Parra stated, "The Washakie County Clerk's Office has a long-standing tradition of upholding the highest standards of integrity in our elections. We are committed to ensuring that our electoral processes remain safe and secure..." She went on to say, "I stand in full support of my fellow county clerks across Wyoming, who are equally dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of our electoral processes." 

Rakness Parra did note that while conducting the first test earlier in the month and following state statutes as she prepared the test ballots that it was successful. She noted the statutes she followed included

She noted the test did not meet the state statute Gray referenced in his letter.

THE TEST

The test began at 9 a.m. Friday. Rakness Parra asked for volunteers to assist since other deputy clerks were busy with regular duties. Washakie County Republican Secretary Elizabeth Bates volunteered to assist with removing the seals. There were two different types of seals. On the outside there were special zip ties that had a specific code on them. If the code didn't match the

verification sheet, it would show the machine had been tampered with. All zip ties matched the sheets. The next seal was a tape one. These were on the inside of the machine. One was holding the USB drive down, and the other was to the files of the computer. When these seals are broken it leaves a "Void" mark, again showing possible tampering. The test officially begins by entering the election code. A configuration report printed and was checked to make sure everything was at zero. The test ballots, provided by Election Systems & Software, the same company that provides the machines, were then entered in a variety of different ways by another volunteer, Washakie County Assessor and Washakie Republican Women member Nancy Quinn, to show the machine will accurately read it no matter how it is entered. Some of the ballots were entered blank and some were overfilled. With these, the machine popped up a message stating what was wrong and asking if the ballot should still be cast or if it should be returned. A ballot from a different precinct was also entered, but the machine rejected it, beeped and alerted that it was for the wrong precinct. These machines, Rakness Parra said, also have a battery that allows for eight hours of usage in case of a power outage.

If a ballot is to jam, the machine will exit voting mode and beep to alert an official. After the jam is fixed, it will tell the official whether the ballot was counted or not. It does not allow more than one ballot to be entered at a time. If more than one is entered, the machine will reject them and send an alert. Every time the machine alerts, it gives a message based on the error.

Once the test was over, the poll got closed and the machine printed a new report. The machines were then sealed again and placed in a locked room that is monitored by cameras until Tuesday's election.