Crank County Election Board holds public test of voting machines, demonstrates retraction process; early voting begins April 7

Thomas RP, sitting in for absent chairman Craig Persinger, opened the Crank County Election Board’s public test of voting equipment on April 2 and invited observers to cast practice ballots and review tally procedures.

Pam Harris, the clerk of the circuit court and election board secretary, and Nancy Bryant, the election deputy, led the session with a Microvote representative identified as Jack. Officials explained the public test is recorded and that sample ballots and tally tapes become part of the test record.

Nancy Bryant walked volunteers through how to mark sample ballots and how the machines handle two-party primary ballots. “When you vote early or by mail, there is an ID number that is not your name,” Bryant said, explaining why early votes are handled differently; she added that if a voter dies before Election Day “their vote has to be retracted,” demonstrating the process on the connected laptop and card reader.

Jack of Microvote demonstrated the technical steps: pulling data off a machine onto a chip-enabled card and printing the tally tape that election staff use to verify counts. “It shows you pulling the data off of the machine and loading it on that card; the card has a little chip,” he said during the tally demonstration.

Officials emphasized why some candidates showed zero votes in the practice: the county operates vote centers with many overlapping ballots, and not every machine presents every candidate. Staff prepared 40 unique sample ballots to represent precinct-level variations, and participants were asked to mark and return sample ballots as part of the public test record.

The board reviewed logistical details election workers must follow on election day: how to insert red tally cards, how to run the admin sequence to print receipts, where to place printed tapes for signatures, and how central count reconciles machine totals with physical card counts. County staff noted that the public website is updated several times in the evening but no results are published until polls close at 6 p.m.

Officials confirmed practical dates and deadlines: early voting at the courthouse begins April 7; required Saturday vote-center hours will include April 25 and May 2; and the board noted an April 23 election-related session referenced during the meeting. Staff also stated the county has 63 precincts and that Grant County falls in the same legislative district used for internal planning.

The board closed the public test after the final tally review. Tim Eckerly moved to adjourn; attendees indicated assent and the meeting ended at 11:25 a.m. No policy votes or board actions other than adjournment were taken during the session.

What happens next: early voting opens April 7 at the courthouse and at designated vote centers on the scheduled weekend dates; election staff will perform the official tallying and publish certified results after polls close.