Latest news with #LakeCountyBoardofElectionsandRegistration
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Post-special election audit comes up clean
About a dozen Lake County Board of Elections and Registration employees helped Voting System Technical Oversight Program officials conduct a post-election audit of the 2025 special election results. The election office volunteered for a post-election audit of its 2025 special school board elections held May 6 for Crown Point and Hobart school referendums, both of which passed. Ultimately, the ballots audited matched the tabulated election results. During the audit, the employees aimed for a 1% risk limit, which results in a 99% confidence level in the election results, said Matt Housley, VSTOP elections system audit specialist. 'We are going to be sampling and inspecting ballots, and we're going to be calculating whether the paper record matches the digital record. We're going to do that until the sample can give us confidence that the election result was correctly tabulated,' Housley said. A good analogy for the post-election audit process, Housley said, has been cooking soup. When cooking soup, the chef doesn't eat the whole pot to determine if the soup tastes good, Housley said. Instead, the chef takes a couple spoonfuls and adds to the recipe as needed with each taste, he said. 'That's exactly what we're going to be doing in a post-election audit. We take a sample of ballots. We make sure that sample of ballots matches up correctly, and as long as they match up correctly then we can infer that the entire election was correctly tabulated,' Housley said. Crown Point will use its referendum money to underscore its ability to hire and retain teachers with a competitive salary. Crown Point will also use the funding for academic programs, safety initiatives and to manage class sizes. For Hobart, the passage meant bus transportation could continue for another eight years. Hobart's referendum will raise about $21.6 million over the eight-year period and Crown Point's will raise $67.2 million over the same period. During the post-election audit, the VSTOP employees entered election information into the Stark Audit Tool, which was used to determine the amount of ballots needed to sample. Then, the election employees rolled a dice to come up with a random 20-digit seed number. The seed number allows for audits to be random and different every time, Housley said. The VSTOP officials put the seed number into the Stark Audit tool, which then generated a list of which ballots the employees should audit. For the two special elections, the employees had to audit 53 ballots. To be safe, Housley pulled 55 ballots to be audited. The election employees pulled the ballots the system generated for audit. Then, they handrolled through the voter-verified paper audit trail, which leaves a paper trail of each ballot cast at a voting machine, looking for the specific ballots to ensure the ballot matched what was tabulated. No voter information was on the ballots, said Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman. After about an hour, all the ballots matched what was recorded during the election. The audit came back with 100% accuracy, and was determined accurate after 50 ballots were audited. Fajman said the county volunteered to be audited because there were few special elections in 2025 and it allowed staff members to become familiar with the process, which in turn will help them answer voter questions in future elections. The county volunteered to be audited once before — in the 2022 general election — which was important to show voters transparency and 'how accurate the system was,' Fajman said. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Assistant Director Jessica Messler, who is new to the office, said she enjoyed participating in the audit because it showed the accountability of the system. Rolling the dice to come up with the seed number allows for the audit to be random, Fajman said. After the audit was complete, Housley went into the system and changed the seed number by one digit and the system called for different ballots to be audited. 'This time, it was exciting because we already knew a little bit about it,' Fajman said. 'In the audit, we're seeing that what that person voted and selected is actually what was tabulated.' akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
28-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Post-special election audit comes up clean
About a dozen Lake County Board of Elections and Registration employees helped Voting System Technical Oversight Program officials conduct a post-election audit of the 2025 special election results. The election office volunteered for a post-election audit of its 2025 special school board elections held May 6 for Crown Point and Hobart school referendums, both of which passed. Ultimately, the ballots audited matched the tabulated election results. During the audit, the employees aimed for a 1% risk limit, which results in a 99% confidence level in the election results, said Matt Housley, VSTOP elections system audit specialist. 'We are going to be sampling and inspecting ballots, and we're going to be calculating whether the paper record matches the digital record. We're going to do that until the sample can give us confidence that the election result was correctly tabulated,' Housley said. A good analogy for the post-election audit process, Housley said, has been cooking soup. When cooking soup, the chef doesn't eat the whole pot to determine if the soup tastes good, Housley said. Instead, the chef takes a couple spoonfuls and adds to the recipe as needed with each taste, he said. 'That's exactly what we're going to be doing in a post-election audit. We take a sample of ballots. We make sure that sample of ballots matches up correctly, and as long as they match up correctly then we can infer that the entire election was correctly tabulated,' Housley said. Crown Point will use its referendum money to underscore its ability to hire and retain teachers with a competitive salary. Crown Point will also use the funding for academic programs, safety initiatives and to manage class sizes. For Hobart, the passage meant bus transportation could continue for another eight years. Hobart's referendum will raise about $21.6 million over the eight-year period and Crown Point's will raise $67.2 million over the same period. During the post-election audit, the VSTOP employees entered election information into the Stark Audit Tool, which was used to determine the amount of ballots needed to sample. Then, the election employees rolled a dice to come up with a random 20-digit seed number. The seed number allows for audits to be random and different every time, Housley said. The VSTOP officials put the seed number into the Stark Audit tool, which then generated a list of which ballots the employees should audit. For the two special elections, the employees had to audit 53 ballots. To be safe, Housley pulled 55 ballots to be audited. The election employees pulled the ballots the system generated for audit. Then, they handrolled through the voter-verified paper audit trail, which leaves a paper trail of each ballot cast at a voting machine, looking for the specific ballots to ensure the ballot matched what was tabulated. No voter information was on the ballots, said Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman. After about an hour, all the ballots matched what was recorded during the election. The audit came back with 100% accuracy, and was determined accurate after 50 ballots were audited. Fajman said the county volunteered to be audited because there were few special elections in 2025 and it allowed staff members to become familiar with the process, which in turn will help them answer voter questions in future elections. The county volunteered to be audited once before — in the 2022 general election — which was important to show voters transparency and 'how accurate the system was,' Fajman said. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Assistant Director Jessica Messler, who is new to the office, said she enjoyed participating in the audit because it showed the accountability of the system. Rolling the dice to come up with the seed number allows for the audit to be random, Fajman said. After the audit was complete, Housley went into the system and changed the seed number by one digit and the system called for different ballots to be audited. 'This time, it was exciting because we already knew a little bit about it,' Fajman said. 'In the audit, we're seeing that what that person voted and selected is actually what was tabulated.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lake County elections public records request cited as reason for oath of ballot bill
A bill for the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots, which was amended but held in committee Wednesday, was authored because of a 'difficulty in responding to' a records request by the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office, state officials said. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman said the office did not receive a public request for the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots in the general election. 'There is no documentation. If they have it, I would love to see it,' Fajman said. 'Lake County does an excellent job, and for something to try to throw us under the bus is offensive.' Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, authored Senate Bill 186, which would require the circuit court clerk to give a copy of each oath counter on provisional ballots to the election division no later than 30 days after the election. Chairman of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, offered an amendment to the bill to remove the requirement for the circuit court clerk to transmit a copy of each oath taken by a ballot counter for the 2024 election. The amendment was adopted unanimously. Brad King, Republican co-director of the Indiana Election Division, said he supports the bill. The Lake County election office 'experienced, from the perspective of the Republican assistant director at that time, difficulty in responding to public records requests for oaths of the provisional ballot counters.' 'The bill before you comes from the actual experience that the individual had in providing those records upon request,' King said. 'It's not unprecedented. It mirrors a provision in current law.' LeAnn Angerman, the former assistant director, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, said the bill creates 'a backup' and 'protects everybody.' While Olthoff said she wasn't clear on what the end result of the Lake County public records request was, 'if it didn't come in a timely manner, or it didn't come at all and there was an issue getting it,' the bill will address that. 'It adds a layer of accountability, protection for the clerks in case of a question, and it's always a good practice to have a backup,' Olthoff said. Fajman said office staff sign the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots as they are the only ones who review the ballots. Then, the bipartisan board reviews the ballots, she said. On Wednesday, Fajman said office staff began making copies of provisional ballots, which are 13×19 envelopes, to send to the state legislators. The legislators will see, Fajman said, that the same four staff members sign the provisional ballots. 'I would like the legislators to see how time-consuming this is,' Fajman said. In drafting the bill, Dernulc previously said he worked with Secretary of State Diego Morales and King. Dernulc previously testified that he authored the bill after residents came to him to talk about more transparency in the election process. 'They would like to see a little more transparency, that's all,' Dernulc previously said. 'There's nothing that anybody's doing that's adversarial or bad, just a little more transparency into it.' Indiana Election Division Democratic co-general counsel Matthew Kochevar, who said he was speaking on his own behalf, said the bill only addresses oaths for provisional ballot counters and not oath forms poll workers or absentee ballot counters sign. Kochevar said he opposed the bill because people can file a records request to see provisional ballot signatures at their local election office, which is easier than traveling to Indianapolis to see the signatures. Further, the bill adds another paper trail the election division would have to monitor, he said. Kochevar pointed to Fajman's testimony when the bill was in committee in the Senate. In her testimony, Fajman held up a 13×19 envelope and pointed to where a ballot counter signs the oath at the bottom. 'This is a waste of money. I know the individuals who he's talking about that want transparency. They have not come into our office to ask for it. If they did, I would gladly show them,' Fajman previously testified. Wesco said the bill would be held in committee 'for possible consideration at a future meeting.' akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County elections public records request cited as reason for oath of ballot bill
A bill for the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots, which was amended but held in committee Wednesday, was authored because of a 'difficulty in responding to' a records request by the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office, state officials said. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman said the office did not receive a public request for the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots in the general election. 'There is no documentation. If they have it, I would love to see it,' Fajman said. 'Lake County does an excellent job, and for something to try to throw us under the bus is offensive.' Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, authored Senate Bill 186, which would require the circuit court clerk to give a copy of each oath counter on provisional ballots to the election division no later than 30 days after the election. Chairman of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, offered an amendment to the bill to remove the requirement for the circuit court clerk to transmit a copy of each oath taken by a ballot counter for the 2024 election. The amendment was adopted unanimously. Brad King, Republican co-director of the Indiana Election Division, said he supports the bill. The Lake County election office 'experienced, from the perspective of the Republican assistant director at that time, difficulty in responding to public records requests for oaths of the provisional ballot counters.' 'The bill before you comes from the actual experience that the individual had in providing those records upon request,' King said. 'It's not unprecedented. It mirrors a provision in current law.' LeAnn Angerman, the former assistant director, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, said the bill creates 'a backup' and 'protects everybody.' While Olthoff said she wasn't clear on what the end result of the Lake County public records request was, 'if it didn't come in a timely manner, or it didn't come at all and there was an issue getting it,' the bill will address that. 'It adds a layer of accountability, protection for the clerks in case of a question, and it's always a good practice to have a backup,' Olthoff said. Fajman said office staff sign the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots as they are the only ones who review the ballots. Then, the bipartisan board reviews the ballots, she said. On Wednesday, Fajman said office staff began making copies of provisional ballots, which are 13×19 envelopes, to send to the state legislators. The legislators will see, Fajman said, that the same four staff members sign the provisional ballots. 'I would like the legislators to see how time-consuming this is,' Fajman said. In drafting the bill, Dernulc previously said he worked with Secretary of State Diego Morales and King. Dernulc previously testified that he authored the bill after residents came to him to talk about more transparency in the election process. 'They would like to see a little more transparency, that's all,' Dernulc previously said. 'There's nothing that anybody's doing that's adversarial or bad, just a little more transparency into it.' Indiana Election Division Democratic co-general counsel Matthew Kochevar, who said he was speaking on his own behalf, said the bill only addresses oaths for provisional ballot counters and not oath forms poll workers or absentee ballot counters sign. Kochevar said he opposed the bill because people can file a records request to see provisional ballot signatures at their local election office, which is easier than traveling to Indianapolis to see the signatures. Further, the bill adds another paper trail the election division would have to monitor, he said. Kochevar pointed to Fajman's testimony when the bill was in committee in the Senate. In her testimony, Fajman held up a 13×19 envelope and pointed to where a ballot counter signs the oath at the bottom. 'This is a waste of money. I know the individuals who he's talking about that want transparency. They have not come into our office to ask for it. If they did, I would gladly show them,' Fajman previously testified. Wesco said the bill would be held in committee 'for possible consideration at a future meeting.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Repay bullish on Lake County Dems' future
Organizing the party and communicating its message further are two of the major goals for Michael Repay as he steps into the role of Lake County Democratic Party Chairman. In Lake County, there has been a lot of energy among Democrats to get involved and even run for office, Repay said, so his focus will be to help those people get into positions that fit their strengths, whether that's running for office or helping the party in other ways. 'There's a firehose of Democratic energy in our county, and probably in the state and the country I'd say, and leadership needs to take that and focus it in so that they can make a positive change,' Repay said. On Saturday, the Lake County Democratic Party held its reorganization meeting and party members selected Repay, who ran unopposed, to replace former chairman Jim Wieser. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman will remain vice chair, Dyer Democratic Precinct Committee secretary Taylor Gibson is secretary and Lake County Assessor LaTonya Spearman is treasurer. Gibson beat incumbent secretary and Lake County Council President Christine Cid. Spearman beat Paul Aguilera and Brandon Dothager to be treasurer as the incumbent Peggy Holinga Katona did not seek reelection. Repay, who is also a Lake County Commissioner, said with the county party reorganization, and upcoming reorganization at the district and state levels, Indiana Democrats have an eye on expanding Democratic reach in the Republican supermajority state. 'We are a blue county, and I think we can be bluer,' Repay said. 'There's Republicans that are elected in Lake County and I think we need to put up folks to run against them that are qualified and eager to participate.' A lot of people have been reaching out to the party to ask about joining political organizations or running for office, Repay said. As chairman, Repay said he will work toward engaging with people where they reach out, spanning from in-person discussion to social media messages, to help them engage with the party in the way they'd like to. Repay said he embraces the idea of 'a big tent' within the party, so he will work toward ensuring that everyone within the party has a space to discuss their thoughts and opinions on how to move forward. 'As long as we are all moving in the same direction and we can play off of each others' strengths and work towards a common goal then we can do it,' Repay said. 'What we need to do is find the common ground and work towards the common ground. If people want to be a little bit more one way or the other, then they're free to do that. It's a big tent. It's a big party.' Through redistricting, Republicans in Indiana have gerrymandered, or shifted the political boundaries to favor their party, Repay said. Over the years, that has decreased the number of Lake County Democrats in the statehouse, he said. 'It's not good government when you marginalize voters by packing different both ethnic and political groups into certain districts and then splitting up a solid basis of interests into multiple districts just so you can have (a supermajority),' Repay said. Ahead of 2026, Repay said the party will focus on organizing volunteers and structures to help more Democrats win seats in the state legislature. Closer to the election, Repay said the party will focus on 'boots on the ground' efforts to knock on doors and engage all voters in districts with Republican legislators at the same time. In the current legislative session, Republicans are unconcerned about public schools, local government, and funding police and fire service, Repay said. In two years, area Republican legislators will have to explain to voters their positions on those matters, he said. Meanwhile, Repay said the Democratic Party will be preparing to talk to those same voters to present counterpoints. 'There will be no free lunch for Republicans in Lake County in 2026,' Repay said. 'If they expect to win those districts, they are going to have to communicate their message to the residents in the district and absolutely the Democratic Party is going to communicate our message to those people in those districts.' Fajman said Repay will bring a new perspective as the party moves forward. 'He's going to bring a lot to the table in terms of media and different ways for the party to be seen,' Fajman said. 'I'm excited to see him work in this capacity.' Lake County Republican Chairman Randy Niemeyer said he and Repay have worked well together in recent years as Niemeyer is a councilman and Repay is a commissioner. They will 'work diligently on the process of elections' and ensure they serve the people of Lake County, Niemeyer said. Wieser said Repay was the 'perfect person' to be the next chairman. After Saturday's meeting, Wieser said he, Repay and Fajman talked about election board matters, upcoming caucuses in Gary and Hobart that Repay will run, and Repay meeting with city and town chairmen. The fact that Repay ran unopposed speaks volumes of the confidence the party has in him, Wieser said. 'He'll take the organization to another level,' Wieser said. 'He has all the right relationships with people to run it.' akukulka@
