A behind-the-scenes dive into election night
Harris County - Early voting for the November 7th election ends this week, but there's still time to cast your ballot. For people who may be unsure of the voting process, FOX 26 Houston breaks down the details.
When voters walk into the voting center, they will be greeted by staff members who will direct voters in the right direction. Staff members will ask voters for their ID and help find the voter's ballot style. The ballot style is based on where the voter resides.
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Voters will be given a poll access code and a sheet of ballot paper. From there, voters will be directed to their designated voting station.
"I've entered the paper correctly. I know that because I see a green check on the screen," said Lynn Munford, an education coordinator for the Harris County Elections Admin Office.
Voting machines do have accommodations for people with hearing or visual impairments. Once voters choose their option, they may begin voting.
"So when you get to this, you have the options you see at the top. You can change the language, make the font larger, listen, and then a just in general help button if you need some guidance or help," said Munford. "Also, the instructions for each race can be found on the left on the screen."
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Voters choose who to vote for, then click 'next' to go to the next screen. Voters may also skip certain races using the 'skip' button.
"You may select up to three candidates for this race. You see that sometimes with school board races or mud races, things of that nature, when you can choose three," said Munford.
Once voters complete their ballot, they can review their choices. The machine will ask voters if they are 100% sure about their selections, then it will print your ballot.
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Voters will head over to the scanner to deposit their ballots in the ballot box. The scanner is an essential step in the election process because it is the only way voting officials will have a record of the votes.
"I deposited it. I saw the flag. I've heard the ding. That tells me that this accepted my vote, which has actually been cast," said Munford.
For people who are worried about ballot security, the Texas Election Code outlines requirements for ballot boxes. One requirement is that ballot boxes must be made of a sturdy material. Each ballot box must have a lock and key. There are also SB1 cameras monitoring election and rally sites 24 hours a day.