Election officials discuss safeguards for ballots

After the 2020 election, allies of former president Donald Trump claimed foreign powers had hacked into voting machines and changed the outcome of the presidential election. NC voting officials say that wouldn't be possible here.
Posted 11/3/2022, 11:15:44 PM Updated 11/4/2022, 12:58:10 PM

WITH 36% OF REGISTERED VOTERS

IN THE COUNTY ALREADY HAVING

CAST THEIR BALLOT.

>> HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR VOTE IS

SAFE FROM BEING HACKED IN NORTH

CAROLINA? THAT'S BEEN A PRETTY

COMMON CONSPIRACY THEORY EVER

SINCE THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION. THERE'S NO EVIDENCE

OF THAT HAPPENING ANYWHERE IN

NORTH CAROLINA. ELECTION

OFFICIALS SAY IT WOULD BE JUST

ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE HERE IN

TODAY'S SEGMENT OF NC VOTES.

1, 1, CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF

LAURA LESLIE SHOWS YOU THE

SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.

AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION ALLIES

OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD

TRUMP INSISTED THAT FOREIGN

POWERS HAD HACKED INTO VOTING

MACHINES AND CHANGE THE

RESULTS.

>> CONSPIRACY THEORIST MIKE

LINDELL EVEN MADE THOSE CLAIMS

IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS YEAR.

SOME STATES ALLOW MODEMS AND

VOTING MACHINES. BUT NORTH

CAROLINA IS NOT ONE OF THEM

IN 2018 STATE LAWMAKERS

OUTLAWED MODEMS VOTING MACHINES

HERE CANNOT HAVE ANY KIND OF TO

THE T PHONE INTERNET, WIRELESS

OR BLUETOOTH. THEY ALSO CANNOT

HAVE REMOTE ACCESS SOFTWARE.

THAT MEANS THEY'RE AIR GAPPED.

THEY CANNOT BE ACCESSED

REMOTELY. LAST YEAR THE STATE

DISCOVERED A FEW VERY OLD

VOTING MACHINES IN 6 COUNTIES

THAT STILL HAD MODEMS AND THEM

STATE ELECTIONS. DIRECTOR KAREN

BRINSON BELL SAID THEY DIDN'T

HAVE THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE

USABLE. WE HAVE DISCONNECTED

AND REMOVE THOSE FROM THE

VOTING SYSTEMS. BELL SAYS THERE

ARE 2 AIR GAPS KEEPING YOUR

VOTE SAFE FROM HACKERS.

>> AFTER THE CLOSE OF POLLS

ELECTION NIGHT, THE RESULTS

FROM EACH PRECINCTS TABULATOR

ARE COLLECTED ON A SECURE, A

FLASH DRIVE.

IT'S SPECIAL.

>> IN OUR SYSTEMS, IT'S NOT

JUST ONE YOU DOWN AT TARGET OR

THOSE DRIVES ALONG WITH PAPER

PRINTOUTS OF THE DATA ARE

PHYSICALLY DELIVERED BY

ELECTION WORKERS TO THE COUNTY

ELECTIONS OFFICE.

>> THE DATA FROM EACH PRECINCT

FLASH DRIVE IS ADDED UP AT THE

COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE ON A

COMPUTER THAT IS ALSO NOT

CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.

THEN ANOTHER SECURE FLASH DRIVE

IS USED TO TRANSFER THE DATA

FROM THAT COMPUTER TO A

DIFFERENT COMPUTER WITH

INTERNET ACCESS. THAT'S WHERE

THE RESULTS STILL AN OFFICIAL

AT THIS POINT ARE SECURELY

UPLOADED TO THE STATE. SO MANY

GAPS AND THEY ARE ENSURE THE

SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR DATA

AS IT'S BEING TRANSMITTED AFTER

THE ELECTION AUDITS OF PAPER

BALLOTS ARE USED TO DOUBLE

CHECK RESULTS IN A CERTAIN

NUMBER OF PRECINCTS. IT VOTES

WERE BEING CHANGED. THE AUDITS

WOULD DISCOVER IT. THE RESULTS

ARE ONLY OFFICIAL AFTER THEIR

AUDITED. LAURA LESLIE, WRAL,

NEWS, RALEIGH AND LAURA SAYS

THERE'S ONE MORE KEY SAFEGUARD.

THERE'S NO ELECTRONIC VOTING

IN NORTH CAROLINA. EVERY VOTE

EVEN IF IT'S CAST. WANT TO

TOUCH SCREEN MACHINE IS

REQUIRED TO HAVE A PAPER

RECORD.

>> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ELECTION

SECURITY IN OUR STATE. GO TO