Election Security and the Myth of Voter Fraud:Report from Santa Clara County Registrar of Voter

Escalating over the past 10 years is the unsubstantiated myth of “Voter Fraud” heard primarily from a candidate and a party that, fearful they might lose an election, have done their best to discredit the voting process in this country. Voter Fraud, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, states that “Extensive research reveals that fraud is exceedingly rare. Yet repeated, false allegations of fraud can make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to participate in elections.” 

“The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law is an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization that works to reform, revitalize, and defend our country’s systems of democracy and justice. Inspired by Justice William J. Brennan Jr.’s devotion to core democratic freedoms, the Brennan Center for Justice works to strengthen democracy, end mass incarceration, and protect liberty and security.”

Integrity in our voting system is essential, ensuring that honesty and security in our voting process is fundamental and that outcomes are to be trusted and accepted as correct.

Because of the myth of voter fraud has become a threat to voter confidence in our elections, Registrars of Voters across the country have been speaking out against this myth and clearly pointing out that voter fraud is extremely rare.

The Santa Clara Council of the League of Women Voters asked their Registrar of Voters, Matt Moreles, to speak to them about the role of the Registrar of Voters and his staff. Mr. Morales is a Certified Election and Registration Administrator and a member of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials and the National Association of Election Officials. He was recently appointed to serve on the California Secretary of State’s Voter’s Choice Task Force.

Mr. Moreles, who has been working in the field for over twenty years, made the following points: “There is unprecedented skepticism about voting in the upcoming election in November, which has created a level of tension across the country that while the sense is real the actuality is the opposite.”

As Registrar of Voters, he spoke about the detailed level of testing and security reviews that he and his staff go through to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. This begins months before an election. It is the Registrar of Voters who is responsible for printing the ballot of which there are often many versions as there are usually multiple districts in which voters vote in every community in the county. 

This requires the testing and retesting of the system algorithms to make sure that the ballot correctly reflects the candidates and measures that are to be voted on. The testing also works to make sure that the system itself is reliable and accurate. He stated that the election process is a wholly separate and closed-end system to ensure that the integrity of the vote is correct. The voting system is totally separate from other systems within the operations of the Registrar’s Office.

He feels that, as the voting system is on a completely different network, there is little chance of error. Yes, someone may try to hack the system, but the likelihood of their succeeding is extremely low. Results are copied and then sent to a different system that uploads the information to the website. After the testing is done the system is erased and reformatted. 

There is an in-house security team, and they are the ones that maintain the system. The team creates and tests contingency plans trying to anticipate disruptions at the Vote Centers. They work with strategic local partners and feel this increases control and confidence in the system. They also work closely with public utility partners as well as the Sheriff to help to maintain the integrity of the system and to be prepared should some disaster or disruption occur.

Elections, even Federal ones, rely on local Registrars of Voters to manage and operate the voting systems. While there is some governmental support there is also assistance from nonprofit institutions at the state and local levels. Moreles and his staff have spent time creating a chain of command and a process to manage any problem that may arise during the voting period.

Mr. Moreles noted that in California almost all voting, 80 to 90%, is done by mail in ballots. In Santa Clara County it is closer to 95%. He has great confidence in the security of this process. He also pointed out that most people use secure drop boxes to turn their ballot in.

While there has been concern about the role of the post office in distributing and returning ballots, especially as Trump has tried to direct the post office on this matter, he feels that the Drop Boxes and Voting Centers are secure. There are 110 Drop Boxes in Santa Clara County and similar numbers are to be found in other counties. He encouraged people to vote early but to give themselves time to thoughtfully consider the ballot, the candidates running, and the measures and propositions. He also noted that fewer are using the post office to return their ballot.

He then stressed the importance of his department taking time to make sure that the vote is correctly tabulated. Security of the vote and integrity of the results are their most important considerations. Therefore, taking a bit more time results in more accurate and reliable outcomes.

He also reminded everyone that the people who are working in his office and who are working at the polls are friends and neighbors who care deeply about the integrity and accuracy of the system and are proud of the work that they do.

When asked about disruptions at Voting Centers by such entities as ICE, he said they are providing training and have created a system for rapid response, so that there will be knowledgeable persons able to respond and take charge should such a disruption occur. He also noted that they have a good relationship with local law enforcement and they also have legal staff access to address such issues should they happen.

Mr. Moreles has faith in our elections system. He and his fellow Registrars of Voters are always working to improve and secure the voting process and their ability to serve their communities with integrity, honesty, and accuracy.