Facing election scrutiny, Texas prepares for Nov. 5 with paper ballots and strengthened security

In September, Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Doinoff watched as test ballots were scanned while also fielding questions from a public observer attentively watching with a clipboard in hand.

The public test is one of many requirements and procedures local election officials and workers in Texas follow to ensure free and fair elections. Despite all assurances, election workers continue to face increased public scrutiny in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s misinformation campaign following his loss in 2020.

This year, Texas election officials are prepared to take on what some say may be the biggest threat to elections — more misinformation — with an old-school tool: paper ballots. Whether by hand or by making their selections on a touchscreen machine, most Texans will mark and cast paper ballots in the Nov. 5 election.

Only six Texas counties will have in-person voters at the polls use direct-recording electronic, or DRE, voting systems that do not rely on paper ballots, according to Secretary of State data mapped by the group Verified Voting. The organization tracks voting equipment and advocates for auditable voting systems. In three of these six counties, in-person voters either mark a paper ballot by hand or use a DRE voting machine. However, some additional counties use DRE machines only for curbside voters, who cannot enter polls without assistance or injuring their health. All Texas voting machines must produce a paper trail by 2026 under a 2021 state law.



https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/23/texas-2024-ballots-secure-elections/