ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – With the primary election just days away, News 6 visited the Supervisor of Elections Office in Orange County to follow up on a history-making moment we were the first to tell you about.
This spring, their cameras live-streamed the ballot process, so people could watch the official ballot vote counts from the comfort of their own homes. Orange County was the first in Florida to provide a view of each step of ballot processing in real time.
Before Aug. 20, we wanted to ask Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean about the added layer of transparency and how voters have responded.
“We’ve had thousands of people log on and witness the ballot process going through from the comfort of their homes,” said Gilzean.
Gilzean says he is already encouraged by the feedback.
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“They feel confident that their elections are now safe and more transparent than ever before,” said Gilzean. “Orange County residents should feel really proud about this staff that when they cast their ballot they know it counts and it’s safe and secure.”
Cameras have always been in place to show the vote tally process on monitors for overflow crowds in a separate room and the hallway.
Our News 6 team visited the office in March to watch the beta testing, when staff were making sure the system would accommodate voters who wanted to tune in.
Anyone with an internet connection can watch from anywhere.
On the Orange County Supervisor of Elections homepage, you’ll see a link to the “Ballot Processing Live Stream (BETA). Enter your name, address, zip code, and email. Once you submit your information, you should be able to watch the live stream.
Gilzean says he hopes voters take advantage on Aug. 20, and in November for the general election.
“My goal is to have tens of thousands of people log onto the live stream so they can see this democracy unfold in real time,” said Gilzean.
News 6 political expert and University of Central Florida history professor Jim Clark says distrust in the election process started four years ago when conspiracy theories started circulating.
“Florida has 67 elections supervisors, and it doesn’t matter if they’re Republican or Democrat, they get these emails and calls almost every day from people who are suspicious,” said Clark.
Each year, election officials reaffirm that our voting system is safe and secure. In January, our News 6 Team debunked 35 election myths and misinformation.
In Orange County, early voting for the August primary ends Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.
You can vote on Election Day from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
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