In Florida, security of our elections is a top priority. As such, legislation and rules have been put in place to ensure the overall conduct of elections are fair and accurate. Voter confidence in the electoral process is directly linked to their participation and turnout in elections. This office is committed to protecting the integrity of ballots cast by Brevard County voters and the voter rolls. This page was created to demonstrate how this office works to ensure the electoral process is transparent and that voters have equal access to the election process. Preserving accurate, transparent, and fair elections is not only the goal of this office, but it should also be the goal of every American.
Critical Infrastructure Designation
Our nation’s elections were designated as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on January 6, 2017. This important designation provides local election officials many resources, including access to the latest cybersecurity intelligence information from the DHS. The Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Office has been working directly with the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, National Guard, U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) to implement protocols to protect the physical and cybersecurity of our country’s electoral process.
Brevard County Supervisor of Elections' IT infrastructure was isolated from the County’s in 2018 for improved cybersecurity. We hired a full-time, permanent cybersecurity staff member in 2018 to ensure compliance with standards and best practices such as National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks. Our tabulation network has always been a closed system, meaning it has no access to or from the internet. This office conducts ongoing cybersecurity training and testing for all elections office personnel.
Transparency
Pre- and post-election voting system testing is mandated by law in Florida. This office posts a legal notice on VoteBrevard.gov for any member of the public who wishes to attend any of the Canvassing Board meetings. Candidates and local political party leadership are also notified of the Canvassing Board meeting schedule so they can personally attend or send someone on their behalf.
Public meetings include testing the logic and accuracy of the voting system, opening and tabulating mail ballots, election night results, recounts, eligibility determinations for mail ballots and provisional ballots, and the voting system's post-election audit. The public is always welcome and encouraged to attend.
In 2021, the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Office implemented Clear Ballot, a state certified automated independent audit system. Clear Ballot allows for a 100% audit of all races and all ballots in every election. An interesting fact: in 2022, there were over 7.9 million voted ovals across 534,751 ballot pages. Clear Ballot showed 99.992% accuracy between the systems.
The SigView program was created for candidates, designees, and parties to view the signature on a mail ballot envelope and the corresponding voter signatures on record. This office has offered more accessibility than any other county in the state, with over 53,000 signatures having been viewed in 2022. The Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Office was one of 24 Election Offices in the nation to be recognized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for excellence in election administration. The Clearinghouse Awards are given in seven categories and Brevard won in the “Outstanding Innovations in Elections” for the SigView program used during the 2022 election cycle.
Voting Equipment
Florida’s voting systems are tested and certified by the Florida Secretary of State Office’s Bureau of Voting Systems Certification. Currently, there are two vendors who are certified in Florida: Election Systems & Software, LLC (ES&S) and Dominion Voting Systems, Inc.
In Brevard County, Election Systems & Software (ES&S) DS200 optical scanners (tabulators) and ExpressVote ADA ballot marking devices are at all Early Voting and Election Day polling sites. High-speed central count scanners, model DS950, are used to tabulate mail ballots. Per Florida Statute, all voting in Florida is done by paper ballot.
Voting Eligibility
Florida’s statewide voter registration system is used to verify that a voter is eligible, registered at a valid residential address, and has not already voted in the election. Once a voter checks in at the polls or their mail ballot has been accepted, their voting record is locked and will not allow another voting transaction in the same election.
Photo and Signature Identification
Florida law requires voters to present a current and valid form of ID with their photo and signature prior to receiving a ballot during Early Voting or on Election Day. If a voter is unable to provide identification at the polls, they may cast a provisional ballot, but must provide further proof of eligibility for their ballot to count.
Paper Ballots
All Florida voters cast their vote on a paper ballot, leaving a physical record for every vote cast. Florida law requires all ballots and election materials to be securely stored for 22 months after the election.
Vote-by-Mail
To receive a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter must first make a request and verify their identity. The following information is required to request a vote-by-mail ballot: voter name, date of birth, residential address, mailing address (if different), and Florida ID/Driver License number or the last 4 of the Social Security number. When sending a vote-by-mail ballot to an address not on file with the Florida Voter Registration System, the request must be in writing and signed by the voter.
For the ballot to be counted, the voter must sign their return envelope and it must match the signature on their voter registration record. Voters can track their mail ballot throughout the entire process on VoteBrevard.gov, from when it is requested through it being counted.
Secure Ballot Intake Stations
Secure ballot intake stations are available in the lobby at all four administrative offices from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and through 7:00 p.m. on Election Night. Secure ballot intake stations are also available during hours of operations at all 10 Early Voting sites.
Ballot Accounting
Each day after the polls close, the voting machine totals are compared to the number of voter check-ins to confirm that the number of voted ballots matches the number of voters who voted. Similarly, the number of vote-by-mail ballots received is balanced to the number of ballots requested and mailed.
Voter List Maintenance
Florida Supervisors of Elections conduct regular list maintenance programs to ensure accurate voter registration rolls. We receive frequent notifications from the United States Postal Service (USPS), Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLDHSMV), Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics, Brevard County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, and other governmental agencies to maintain current records and remove ineligible voters from the rolls.
Supervisors of Elections throughout the State of Florida are required to conduct list maintenance activities on a schedule according to the law, once during every odd-numbered year and no later than 90 days prior to a Federal election. These list maintenance procedures help us keep up with voters who have moved in and out of Brevard County.
Bragging Rights
In 2018, the Palm Beach Post reported, “Brevard County, meanwhile, logged the only perfect score among the 20 counties with the largest voting tallies, reporting the exact same number of votes in both the initial count and the recount of the agriculture commissioner race.”