ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said public testing of the equipment has to happen before they can start processing vote-by-mail ballots.
On Friday, a handful of members of the public, as well as the canvassing board, watched as the equipment was tested.
Florida statutes state that supervisor of elections must publicly test 5% of precinct tabulating equipment. In Orange County, that means 19 machines that will be used at early voting sites and precincts must be publicly tested.
[2020 VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know ahead of the presidential election | Voting by mail? Here’s how to track your ballot]
It also states that all vote-by-mail tabulating equipment be tested, which is seven machines in Orange County.
The equipment is tested using a test deck and the ballots are marked in a specific way, according to Cowles.
He said the ballots are pre-marked with a pattern.
Cowles said after testing is completed, machines are deemed ready for use.
[READ MORE: Central Florida counties reporting record number of mail-in ballots this election]
The polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day then the supervisor of elections office releases results, according to Cowles.
At that time, he said, they will have 100% of the early voting results and about 95-97% of the vote-by-mail results.
Cowles said that means that shortly after 7 p.m. on Election Day, usually about 60% or more of the votes that are going to be cast in the election are known.