Election Security

Virginia takes elections seriously and for that reason, Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued Executive Order 35, which codifies election security procedures put into place during his administration. These include ballot security, complete and thorough counting, machine testing, voter list maintenance and ballot security.

Below is a summary of Executive Order 35:

Fairness, Transparency and Legality in Virginia’s Voting process

  • 100% paper ballots providing a physical record
• Strict chain of custody for ballots and voting equipment
• All mailed ballots must be requested by application
• No mass mailing of ballots
• Paper ballot counting machines, not voting machines
• Rigorous testing of voting equipment before elections
• Counting machines not connected to internet
• 24/7 monitoring of drop boxes

Ballot Security: Tracking and Chain of Custody

• Documented chain of custody for every voting day
• Ballot tracking through every step in the voting process
• Ballot counts are reconciled after every voting day
• Daily checks to ensure equal number of voters and ballots used

Ballot Security: Absentee and Provisional Voting

• All mailed absentee ballots must be requested by a qualified voter
• Ballots cannot be forwarded
• All undeliverable ballots are returned to Voter Registration Office
• All returned mailed ballots are vetted for the voter’s correct address, year of birth, and last four of SSN
• Provisional ballots for same Day Registrants are not counted until the voter’s eligibility has been certified in the Voter Registration Office

Election Security: Voting Equipment

• Virginia uses paper ballot counters, not “voting machines”
• Ballot counters are not connected to the internet
• Ballot counters are rigorously tested and certified to state and federal standards
• All equipment in the polling place, ballot counters and electronic pollbooks, is thoroughly tested before each election.

Election Security: Result Accuracy is Triple-Checked

• Officers of Election check the election results in the precinct on Election Night
• Local Electoral Boards conduct a public Canvass of election results immediately following the election and certify results to The Department of Elections
• Department of Elections conduct their own review of results prior to certification
PLUS: Statewide and local audits are conducted to ensure accuracy before results are certified by The Department of Elections

Election Security: Protecting Voter Lists

• Voter list is updated daily to add voters, change information and remove voters
• Remove ineligible voters including felons and mentally incapacitated
• Remove people who are unable to verify citizenship to the DMV
• DMV verifies proof of identity and legal status through the DHS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database and the Social Security Administration database
• DMV shares a daily data file of non-citizen transactions including addresses and document numbers with Department of Elections
• Registrars are required by law to cancel the registration of non-citizens and to immediately contact the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office.

Election Security: Safe and Orderly Conduct at Polling Places
Prohibited activities at Polling Places (includes Early Voting sites):

• Hinder, delay, or intimidate a qualified voter
• Hinder or delay an officer of Election
• Attempt to influence any person casting a ballot
• Violate the privacy of other voters
• Possessing any firearm within 40 feet of the Polling Place
• Impede the orderly conduct of the election