It was test time for the Lake County Board of Elections, which met Tuesday to take part in a pre-election exercise required by Indiana statute.
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A total of 60 machines, from different precincts, were tested for accuracy by board members in the South Room, with certification to follow, Lake County Election Director Michelle Fajman said.
Testing of the voting machines and certification is required by the state before early voting, which begins on April 7.
This year’s election primary is May 5.
The board met in the county commissioner’s room before the testing of the machines, then convened to the South Room, where the 60 machines representing 5% of the voting machines used in the upcoming election were tested.
Fajman said in addition to testing to ensure those on the ballots were in place, participants were also testing to determine if any retractions and any overvotes had taken place.
Testers, using headphones, were also making sure the voting machines used were compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fajman said.
After the testing was tabulated, the certified results were recorded on a tally card and approved by the county board before being sent to state officials as required by state law, she said.
Lake County Assistant Election Director Jessica Messler said it’s state officials, not county officials, that select at random the voting machines that are tested.
“It’s a testing of voting machines that will be used,” Messler said.
Lake County Elections Board member John Reed, who is a Republican, carefully tested a voting machine from a Schererville-based precinct while Matt Fech watched on.
Reed said the final results from the test must show one vote each for Republican candidates and one vote each for Democratic candidates.
Fech, a Democrat, was filling in on Tuesday for board member Michael Brown.
Reed said each of the tests taken on the machines is required to have two individuals, including one Democrat and one Republican, who take turns.
“There’s no going solo,” Reed said.
Reed, before the board reconvened to the South Room, questioned a list of changes in locations for polling places.
“It’s not a ton of notice,” Reed said.
Fajman said her staff emails one month in advance with questions about the polling place locations. A second reminder follows.
“The general election will be much easier,” Fajman said.
Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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