Photo by Lexi Coon.
Local residents walk out of City Hall after voting in the June 5 primary elections. Lt. George Ponder of the Civil Division of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said he believes the election system in Alabama and Jefferson County is reasonably secure — at least in terms of avoiding physical tampering.
Election security is a hot topic in America, especially given reports of attempted Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race. Numerous government officials have also expressed concern that the Russians or others may try to meddle in the midterm elections Nov. 6.
However, Lt. George Ponder of the Civil Division of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, whose staff ensures voter safety at 172 precincts and guards voting materials, told Village Living he believes the election system in Alabama and Jefferson County is reasonably secure — at least in terms of avoiding physical tampering.
And Ponder takes his responsibility of protecting the integrity of the voting process “very seriously,” he said.
“I hold this assignment in high regard because of what I am supposed to protect,” he said. “Our right to vote is a cherished right.”
Maintaining election security in Mountain Brook and other communities is the sole responsibility of Jefferson County officials, according to Mountain Brook City Clerk Steve Boone.
“The city hasn’t been asked to provide any security for this election or any other in the past,” Boone said.
Jefferson County has an Election Commission headed by Probate Judge Alan L. King, the county’s chief election official. It also includes the circuit clerk — responsible for absentee ballots — and the Sheriff’s Office. In addition, the Board of Registrars maintains voter lists.
The election team begins meeting three months prior to elections to thoroughly review the process, and those meetings are usually attended by Democratic and Republican party officials, according to the county website.
Before voting begins, Ponder and his staff distribute ballot materials and verify that voting machines are at a “zero count,” he said.
When polls close, poll officials deliverelection materials to one of five JCSOdrop-off points.
“We verify we have what we need — the voted ballots, the voter list, any absentee or provisional materials — and we store it in a vault at the Criminal Justice Center,” Ponder said.
The day after the election, sheriffs deliver some election materials to Probate Court for canvassing, meaning the verification of the election results. Seven days later, they deliver provisional ballots to Probate Court for canvassing.
“Beyond those two exceptions, it takes a court order to access our vault,” Ponder said.
There are numerous safeguards built into the system, according to Ponder.
For example, poll workers in the county are trained at probate court, Ponder said.
“I do a segment on security issues — what to look for, how to address certain problems,” he said. “We drill them pretty good.”
He also noted that voters must register and present picture IDs.
Alabama is relatively safe from tampering because of redundancy, according to Ponder.
“We have the electronic results, but we have a paper ballot,” he said. “If someone questioned the electronic result, you can go back and count the ballots.”
Boone agreed that Alabama elections are relatively safe. “Alabama is still a very ‘manual’ state, hence the low probability of someone hacking in or tampering,” he said. “There’s nothing electronic or web-based to hack into at the polling locations.”
Ponder stressed there are some important election-security issues that go beyond the county’s purview. “As far as cyber-security, that falls under the Secretary of State,” he said.
Current Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has told various media outlets this year that the state’s election process, including voter information, is secure.
He acknowledged the threats, however, telling Huntsville’s WHNT-TV in June that the Russians attempted to hack Alabama’s system in 2016.
However, “voters shouldn’t be worried in this state about their elections,” Merrill said.
