Before and after Election Day, election officials follow a strict chain of custody to ensure every ballot is secure, accounted for, and properly counted. Kathy Boockvar spoke with VoteBeat about how this process works and why voters can have confidence in it.
The chain of custody begins well before Election Day and continues long after votes are counted. From the moment blank ballots and voting equipment arrive, election officials document quantities, serial numbers, and condition, secure access to materials, and maintain detailed records each time ballots or machines are moved or handled. Throughout the process, multiple officials verify records, seal materials, document any irregularities, and sign off on each step, often across party lines.
This layered system of documentation, oversight, and bipartisan accountability is designed to ensure election materials and equipment remain secure, with access limited to only authorized persons, and traceable at every stage.
“It’s critical both to make sure that every eligible vote is counted and also to make sure that nothing interferes with, whether intentional or accidental, the security of the vote,” said Boockvar.
“What we want to do is have as many checks on the process, as many eyes on the process, through different stages before certification,” Boockvar said. “Those layers of checks and reconciliations and confirmation that you know the numbers match to the extent possible — all those steps help strengthen the process and should give confidence to voters.”
Breaks in the chain of custody are rare. If they do occur, layered and well-documented procedures allow election officials to quickly identify, explain, and address them.
Read the full article here: https://www.votebeat.org/2026/01/16/chain-of-custody-ballot-voting-machines-verification-election-security/