Express Vote XL
Voting Machine
FAQ

When did Delaware start using the ES&S ExpressVote XL machine/device?

• Delaware voters began voting using the ExpressVote XL voting device in the School Board Election of May 14, 2019

I have heard about "hacking" events that have shown that voting machines can be "hacked". How can I be sure Delaware's voting machines are secure?

• It is essential to remember that these types of events utilize voting machines in scenarios that in no way resemble how the machines are used or how they operate in actual elections. In addition, none of the safety and security protocols, nor the multiple levels of controls and checks in place in an election are in place at these events that prevent any type of unauthorized access to the operations of this equipment. Given this, the outcomes alleged at such &hacking& events do not reflect &real world& scenarios.
• Check out the United States Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Testing & Certification Program (T&C), https://www.eac.gov/election-technology/testingcertification-program-tc
• Delaware's voting system is provably and proven to be fully secure and trusted. The functionality, operation, and specifications of the ExpressVote XL voting device used in Delaware are available at https://www.essvote.com/products/expressvote-xl/. Information about ES&S voting system security is available at https://www.essvote.com/feature/security/.
• The public is encouraged to learn more about the voting process by attending Department public meetings and educating themselves by reviewing the publicly posted and accessible online resources and materials available on the Department's website,
  • https://elections.delaware.gov
  • https://elections.delaware.gov/voter/technology.html
  • https://elections.delaware.gov/voter/education.html
• Logic & accuracy testing and certification of all voting equipment is conducted in public meetings before each election. Additionally, Delaware performs post-election audits in public meetings, during which paper ballots are hand-counted and matched up to election results. Notice of these public meetings are posted on the State’s Public Meeting Calendar at https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/#/search?/q=&agencyid=217

Where does my card go when I press the vote button?

• Your activation card/printed ballot slides up and drops into the secure card container attached to the back of the machine randomly, and in no particular order

What happens if the secure card container on the back of the machine gets full?

• Elections staff swap the full bin with an empty bin & secure the full bin at the polling site until an Elections "Security Team" arrives to transport the full bin back to the department where it will be secured.

What does Elections do with the activation cards/printed ballots after the election?

• As required by law they are kept in the custody of the Department and stored in a secure location for 22 months following the Election.

Does the Department reconcile the results printed on the card with the results stored electronically in the voting machines and the paper tapes printed from the machines?

Is there a way someone can find out exactly how I voted?

• No. Voted activation cards/paper ballots drop into the secure card container randomly and in no particular order. A voter's ballot is always anonymous, and a ballot is not able to be associated with an individual voter.

Is there a date/time stamp that prints on the activation card/printed ballot when I vote?

• No.

The voting machine does not print out a receipt for me showing who I voted for. Can I take a picture of my selections with my phone?

• Yes. Title 15 does not provide any restrictions on a voter from taking a photo of their ballot. Numerous court cases in states that do restrict voters from taking pictures of their ballots were decided in favor of the voter anyway. The courts reasoned that "a photo of one's ballot is constitutionally protected speech." Therefore, pictures of ballots are allowed.

Does the barcode on the activation card contain any personally identifiable information (PII) that the machine captures, or that they can trace the card/paper ballot back to me?

• No. The barcode only contains your assigned Voting District, which tells the machine to pull up the ballot showing the candidates running in your districts for whom you may choose to vote.

What information is contained in the barcode printed on my activation card?

• The barcode only contains your assigned Voting District, which tells the machine to pull up the ballot showing the candidates running in your districts for whom you may choose to vote.

How are votes tabulated at the end of the night?

• When the polls close at 8pm all the votes from the voting machines, plus from the machines that scan the absentee and early voting votes, are read into a secured State tabulation system. The tabulated vote totals are then posted to the Election Night Reporting website.

I put my card in the slot, but it slid right back out. Why?

• Paper dust, at times, accumulates on the conveyor and the strip "de–magnetizes." Once the dust is cleared off, the cards slide up the ramp into the container appropriately.

Does the Department of Elections compare the results contained on the Election USB to the cards?

• Yes, the Department performs post–election audits and certification processes.

What if I make a mistake and want to change my vote after I press the Vote button and the card deposits in the secure card container?

• The vote is final. We cannot undo the action.

What happens to the machines at the end of the night?

• After all the tapes are printed and ballots bins removed, the machines are locked and are taken back to Department warehouse, when possible. Otherwise, they will be picked up first thing the next day.

Are Delaware's voting machines hooked up to the internet? Do the machines have wireless modems to transmit election results?

• No, Delaware's voting machines are not hooked up to the internet. Delaware's voting machines do not contain wireless modems and are not ever connected, nor able to ever be connected to the internet in any manner. Each machine is a strictly stand–alone device with no capability for connectivity.

What steps does Elections make to ensure that machines are not tampered with between delivery and the election and after the election?

• The machines are only handled by those authorized to move and transport them. The machines are kept locked. Machines have tamper–evident seals and chain–of–custody documentation from the time they leave the warehouse, until the election is over, and the machines are back at the Department.

Are the results stored on the machine's hard drive?

• Results are stored in the voting machine's internal memory, the removable media, and voter–verified, printed, paper ballots.

Can the machines be programmed to change the votes cast for one candidate versus another?

• No. Delaware's secure election coding process and rigorous logic and accuracy testing of voting equipment ensures that Delaware's ES&S Express Vote XL Voting Machines record votes exactly as entered by Delaware voters.

How are the ballots cast transferred from the machines in the polling location to the secure location where the ballots are formally counted and recorded?

• At the close of polls, Election Officers detach the "secure card container," the canister holding all the paper ballots cast on that specific voting machine, from the back of the machine. The process is repeated for every machine at the polling place. The secure card containers of each voting machine used in the Polling Place are held in the custody of the Inspector. Immediately following the completion of the end of the night polling place closing procedures, the Inspector transports the secure card containers to the Department's County Office warehouse and delivers them directly into the hands of authorized Department of Elections staff members. These DoE staff members transfer the secure card containers to a secure, physically and electronically surveilled and monitored repository within the building, where they are kept until the certification of election results. Once election results have been certified, the paper ballots are sealed in tamper–evident deposit bags and are locked away, undisturbed, in the secure location for 22 months in the case of state elections and five years in the case of school elections

Are the votes stored on a thumb drive? How is that thumb drive secured? How is it transported to the Department of Elections?

• Yes, each vote is recorded and stored on the Elections Media stick, unique to each voting machine. The thumb drive is secured inside a locked compartment until the compartment is opened by key and the Elections Media stick is retrieved by Election Officers at the close of polls. The Elections Media sticks from each voting machine are then secured in a labeled, zippered pouch secured with a seal. The seal number on the pouch is recorded on Election District documentation. Once prepared, the pouch is transferred by the Inspector directly into the hands of one of the Polling Place's Election Officers. This Election Officer is given the title of Elections Media Clerk and has been predesignated by the Inspector as the custodian and authorized delivery agent of the Elections Media pouch to the Department of Elections. The Inspector informs the Department of Elections staff at operations headquarters of the name of the chosen Elections Media Clerk. The Elections Media Clerk is dismissed from the Polling Place by the Inspector and transports the Elections Media pouch directly upon leaving the Polling Place to the designated, secure collection station and directly into the hands of authorized, badged Department of Elections staff.

What are the measures undertaken by the Department of Elections to ensure the security of the ballots on election day?

• The security of the ballots is the collaborative, shared responsibility of the Election Officers at the Polling Place lead by the Inspector and Department of Elections staff. The Department of Elections employs a team of pre-cleared, authorized, and badged agents to visit each Polling Place throughout the day to survey the operations and voting equipment, including checking the secure card containers holding the paper ballots for any signs of tampering and ensuring that the compartment containing the Elections Media stick remains locked. If a secure card container reaches its maximum capacity of voted paper ballots, Election Officers inform the Department of Elections staff at operations headquarters to send an authorized agent to procure the full bin and replace it with another, sealed empty secure card container and attach it to the back of the machine. The authorized, badged Department of Elections staff member then transports the filled secure card container directly to the Department of Elections County Office warehouse and delivers it directly into the hands of a Department of Elections staff member authorized to accept the container and deposit it immediately into the secure, physically and electronically surveilled repository within the building

What is the specific process for formally requesting a change in the process of securing ballots? How are such requests considered and who makes the final determination and over what time frame?

• The Department of Elections develops election processes and procedures based on the legal requirements detailed in Title 15 of the Delaware Code and the State of Delaware Constitution, which is revised, updated and amended by the Delaware General Assembly. To request a change in State law, please contact your State Representative and State Senator. Suggestions from Delaware voters are always welcomed by the Department and may be submitted by email to the Commissioner of Elections for consideration and review with Department of Elections County Office Directors. Constituents may email [email protected] with any suggestions, comments, or concerns.

Can the voting machines be accessed via wireless remote? I understand they are not connected to the internet, but how about wirelessly or remotely?

• There is no way to access a machine remotely by any means. A prerequisite for any voting machine to be considered for the State to use is that it is not capable of being accessed wirelessly or remotely in any manner, in addition to not being connected, or capable of being connected, to the internet.

At post–election audit public meetings, I noticed that when secure card containers were opened to remove the activation cards/voted paper ballots, some cards were upside down and were not oriented in the same direction. Why aren't all the cards facing the same direction?

• Voted activation cards/paper ballots drop into the secure card container randomly and in no particular order. Cards drop into the bin and find their own way. There's no mechanism that arranges the cards in a particular way once they reach the bin. Therefore, when a secure card container is opened during a post-election certification or audit, you will most likely see ballots in the container facing different directions or facing up and down.