Election officials test ballot machines ahead of Spring Primary

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Election officials are back to work for the upcoming Spring Primary.

Officials test the machines used to count ballots before every election. The public tests are conducted for sake of transparency and to inspire confidence in the security and accuracy of the election process.

The community is welcome to come to the voting centers to watch the machine testing, but the City of Madison’s Deputy Clerk, Jim Verbick, says there’s typically little public turnout.

“I feel like there’s enough trust in the process,” Verbick said. “That’s why people probably don’t show up.”

If people do have concerns about the process, Verbick encourages those voters to get involved.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say ‘I was skeptical of the process,’ or ‘I was so uneasy about the process,’ and then they became poll workers and they understand why things are and why things are done the way they are and how things are done and it eases them a lot,” Verbick said. “They become then advocates for the process and the public.”

The 2023 Spring Primary will be held on February 21.

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