Know the tools.
Trust the results.

We explain how election tech works—in plain English—so every voter feels confident.

See the Basics
Donate to ETEF

How Election Tech Works

Ballots & Scanners

Marking &
counting votes

Fast facts on voting systems

Electronic Poll Books

Check-in
systems

Fast facts on electronic poll books

Electronic Ballot Delivery/Return

For military, overseas, and disabled voters

Fast facts on EBD/EBR

Read More Fast Fact Sheets

Straight Answers

  • No.

    People often use the term “voting machine” for many tools. One of those tools is a ballot marking device (BMD). A BMD helps a voter mark a paper ballot. Another of those tools is a tabulator. A tabulator, also called a scanner, counts ballots. Neither tool “flips” votes.

    A BMD is an electronic pen. BMDs give the voter a paper ballot that the voter can check before casting. If they approve of the selection, the paper ballot is then fed into a tabulator/scanner to count the votes.

    If the paper does not match what the voter chose, the voter can ask to have the ballot replaced and start again. Sometimes people say a screen showed the wrong choice. This may happen because of a problem with the screen, not because someone hacked the machine or told the machine to change a vote. If this happens to you, alert election staff and ask to use a different BMD.

    Before each election, officials test BMDs and tabulator/scanners in public. After the election, they also check paper ballots by hand to make sure the tabulator counts are right. BMDs and tabulators/scanners are not connected to the internet during voting or counting. This ensures results can be checked and trusted.

  • Election Night Reporting, or ENR, shares unofficial vote totals with the public. Unofficial totals means they are not final. ENR does not count ballots. After polls close, election staff post updates as more results come in. Official election websites and news groups may show these unofficial numbers.

    Tabulation means counting votes. ENR means sharing the totals. A wrong or delayed number on an ENR site does not change the ballots or the official count. Some ballots may still need to be counted or checked. Results become official only after election staff finish the required checks and certify them.

  • It counts votes.

    After a vote is cast, paper ballots are counted by tabulators, also called scanners. The tabulator reads the votes and adds them up. The paper ballots are securely stored, so results can be checked later through audits or recounts.

  • Election officials use several checks before results become official.

    1. Before Election Day, they run logic and accuracy tests. They use test ballots with known choices. The machine totals must match those choices.

    2. After voting ends, officials compare the number of ballots cast with voter check-in records. They also review reports, seals, and other election records.

    3. A post-election audit checks the machine count against paper ballots. Officials count a sample of paper ballots by hand and compare that count with the reported results.

    4. A recount counts ballots again, usually in one close race. State law sets when audits and recounts take place.

    Together, these checks help officials find errors and confirm the reported winners.

Read More Straight Answers

Our Values

1

Nonpartisan

Non-technical

2

Transparent

3

Factual

4

Support the Fund

What We Do

We turn election technology research into
resources everyone can use.

A gold-colored shield emblem featuring a checkmark in a square in the center, surrounded by five stars at the top and horizontal bars on each side.

Election Security
Research Forum

A gold-colored megaphone with sound lines indicating it is emitting sound.

Educational Outreach
& Media

Gold medal with a badge featuring a star, a checklist with a check mark, and lines of text, symbolizing achievement or certification.

Resource Development
& Research