Sangamon County recently purchased new election equipment. Our electronic voting equipment consists of Election Systems and Software DS200 (Optical Scan) tabulator and ExpressVote (Touch Screen). These machines are never connected to the internet. The DS200 and ExpressVote machines are tested before and after each election to ensure they are functioning correctly. The electronic voting equipment and media are kept in secure locations when not being used for an election.
During an election, we employ numbered security seals on the DS200 machines, to ensure the critical components are not tampered with. The DS200 is paired with an encrypted card inside the unit containing the firmware. This technology ensures the card cannot be taken out of the machine and altered, viewed or changed. The unit only accepts approved and certified USB drives to prevent unauthorized data transfers or uploads.
The ExpressVote operating software provides security access controls to limit or detect access to critical system components, guarding against system integrity loss and availability. Only system certified components are recognized by the ExpressVote. Additionally, the ExpressVote uses physical and system access controls including lockable doors, tamper-evident seals and access codes.
Our Voter Registration System and Election Night Software Reporting vendors regularly undergo various cyber reviews, assessments and scans to ensure the systems are safe from vulnerabilities and unknown actors.
The County Clerk’s office and the Sangamon County IS department are working together along with State and Federal entities, such as the Department of Homeland Security, to maintain the integrity of elections and voter information. We have also designated a competent staff member to oversee our cybersecurity. Through continuing education about cybersecurity, we are striving to make certain future elections and voter data remain safe from cyberthreats.
Cybersecurity Informational Flyers
