I decided to do something...so I became a Poll Worker so I could see firsthand what is and what isn't "connected to the internet" and how it all works. So far, after a week of early voting followed by the Tuesday Primary, I have confirmed that the vote counting machine (one in each polling place) is NOT connected to the internet. The Electronic Voter ID machines ARE connected to a database of voters, registered (in the case of closed primary) and most likely unregistered (in the case of general elections). At one polling place, the EVID machine would print a ballot when the voter was identified, and signature matched. In the other polling place, the voters were also identified and signature matched, but a pre-printed ballot was handed over. At both polls, the ballots are fed into the "vote counter" which is only plugged into a 120v outlet. I wasn't privy to this part, but I watched, as the count is removed from the machine onto a thumb drive, and the ballots are removed from the machine and placed into a box, and escorted by the clerk over to the election headquarters for tally. The numbers of ballots handed to the voters must match exactly the number of ballots retrieved from the vote counter machine and the thumb drive.
As far as ballot drop boxes are concerned, they are monitored by a minimum of two poll workers at all times, and each ballot envelope is checked to be sure there is a signature and return address on the envelope. Don't know about mail-in ballots, except they are only issued upon request.
So far I can rest easy if I don't think about the boxes of unused ballots and the goings-on at the election headquarters.
