Ada County begins ballot-scanning process

Election Day is approaching, and Ada County has started the ballot scanning process.

During the special legislative session, a decision was made, allowing for ballots to be opened and scanned a week before Election Day.

FIVE DAYS LEFT UNTILTHE NOVEMBERTHIRD PRESIDENTIALELECTION.ADA COUNTY HASALREADY STARTEDSCANNINGABSENTEE BALLOTS.THE GOAL IS TOENSURE TIMELYRESULTS... AFTERUNPRECEDENTEDDEMAND FORABSENTEE VOTING.THOUGH THEY'REBEING PROCESSEDEARLY... ABSENTEEBALLOTS WON'T BEOFFICIALLY COUNTEDUNTIL ELECTION DAY.OUR ELECTIONREPORTER NICOLECAMARDA HAS MOREON WHAT'S BEINGDONE TO MAKE SURECOUNTING ISACCURATE."WE'VE BROKEN UPTHIS TEST DECK TOCOVER ALL THREEVOTING TYPES;ABSENTEE, EARLYAND ELECTION DAY.SO ITS A REALLYGOODREPRESENTATION OFWHAT THE VOTERSWILL BE VOTING ONAND HAVE BEEN."ADA COUNTY TESTEDJUST SHORT 1,000TEST BALLOTSDURING A LOGIC ANDACCURACY TEST."WE'RE GOING TOSTART BY HAVINGCLINT STARTFEEDING BALLOTSINTO THE SCANNERLIKE A VOTERWOULD AT APRECINCT"BEFORE BALLOTSARE SCANNED, AZERO REPORT ISPRINTEDCONFIRMING NOPRIOR VOTES ORDATA HAVE ALREADYBEEN RECORDED."IT WILL SHOW YOUZERO VOTES.

ALLLOF THE MACHINESWILL HAVE THEIRCOUNTERS RESET,SO SCANNERS WHENWE START THEM WILLBE ZEROED OUT, ANDFROM HERE WE WILLSTART RUNNING THEBALLOTS THROUGHAND START BUILDINGUP OUR RESULTS."ADA COUNTY CLERKPHIL MCGRANE SAYSIT WILL TAKE STAFFOVER A WEEK TOPROCESS ALL OF THEBALLOTS, DUE TOTHE HUGE TURNOUTOF ABSENTEES."SLICING THEENVELOPES OPEN,PULLING THOSE OUT,LAYING THEBALLOTS FLAT SOTHEY CAN BE READYTO BE SCANNED."WE'LL START THESCANNING PROCESSWHERE WE ARETAKING THE ACTUALVOTES FOR THISELECTION ANDSCANNING THEM IN.SO, WE'LL BESCANNING FROM8AM TO 10PMEVERYDAY JUST TOMAKE SURE WE HAVEENOUGH TIME TOGET ALL OF THESEBALLOTS SCANNEDSO THAT WE CANHAVE TIMELYRESULTS ONELECTION DAY."ADA COUNTYELECTION'S OFFICEALSO ADDED EXTRASECURITYMEASURES, LIKELIVE-STREAMEDCAMERAS THROUGHTHE BUILDING.MCGRANE SAYS HEWANTS EVERYONE,INCLUDINGCANDIDATES AND THEPUBLIC TO HAVECONFIDENCE IN THEPROCESS WHENCASTING THEIR VOTE."IM HAPPY TOREPORT EVERYTHINGWENT SMOOTHLY ASPART OF OUR TESTS.SO WE'RE IN A GOODPLACE AND WE'REREADY TO BEGIN THEPROCESS AND ITHINK WE'VE GOT AGREAT PLAN INPLACE TO MAKESURE EVERYTHINGGOES SMOOTHLY ALLTHE WAY THROUGHELECTION DAY ANDINTO THE EVENING."IN BOISE, NICOLECAMARDA, IDAHONEWS 6IF YOU WANT TOAVOID THE LINES ONELECTION DAY, EARLYVOTING IS AVAILABLEAT SELECTLOCATIONS... UNTILTOMORROW... INCANYON AND ADACOUNTIES.WE'VE GOT ALIST...AT IDAHO NEWSSIX DOT COM