“Behind the Ballot” is a collaborative reporting project from Technical.ly and the Bucks County Beacon investigating the people, technology and systems behind election administration in Bucks County and Philadelphia ahead of the 2026 midterms. The series examines what safeguards exist, how they are implemented and what voters can verify for themselves, with support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism and the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative.
As Pennsylvania approaches the May primary and the November midterms, which include races for Congress and governor, election security remains a focus across the commonwealth.
That attention is especially high in Bucks County, often described as one of the “swingiest” counties in swing-state Pennsylvania.
The Bucks County Board of Elections maintains the county’s voting systems and election security measures. The board is responsible for making sure voting machines and e-pollbooks work properly, election staff are trained and that votes are counted accurately.
To do that, the county follows guidelines and procedures set by Pennsylvania’s Department of State.
“Most, if not all, our security measures for submitting/auditing votes are dictated by either law or PA Department of State guidance,” James O’Malley, deputy director of communications for Bucks County, told Technical.ly.
Technical.ly submitted a right-to-know request to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners seeking election security policies, vendor contracts, poll worker training materials and other election-related records.
The request was partially denied; the board claimed that some of the requested records were not in its possession, and that others were exempt from disclosure under state law. We did obtain contracts with some of the county’s technology vendors, including its voting machine and election software vendors.
How is tech used to store, access and secure voter data?
Bucks County uses electronic voting machines, e-pollbooks and software to secure those systems.
Technical.ly reviewed a contract with Tenex Software Solutions, signed in February 2025, for the company’s Election Force software, which manages poll worker training and scheduling. The contract also includes Live Results software, which lets the county publish election results.
The county also renewed its contract with voting machine vendor Clear Ballot in January ahead of the spring primary, according to a recent vendor contract.
How do these contracts handle voter data?
Both contracts state that all data belongs to the county. When the contract ends, the vendor must provide the county with a copy of that data. The contracts also require data to be encrypted at all times.
Clear Ballot must also provide reports showing who accessed the data and whether it was changed.
The vendor is required to maintain “physical and technical safeguards” to protect the data. If there is a security breach, Clear Ballot must notify the county and keep records of its investigation.
How do e-pollbooks work?
Bucks County uses Knowink Poll Pad electronic pollbooks. Poll workers use the tablet-based system on Election Day to look up voters and track registration status.
The pollbooks operate on a closed network and are not connected to the public internet, as required by the secretary of the commonwealth.
How is voter registration status updated before Election Day?
Pennsylvania counties use the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, known as SURE, to track voter registration status. The system is maintained by Pennsylvania’s Department of State and is used to process voter registration applications and mail-in ballot applications.
The voter registration deadline is 15 days before Election Day, giving counties time to update registration records.
Poll workers can access voter registration information through the electronic pollbooks they use on Election Day.
For mail-in ballots, envelopes have barcodes that are scanned when received to help ensure voters do not vote twice. Mail ballot status is also available in the pollbooks, so workers can see whether a voter is eligible to cast a ballot in person.
Who makes sure voting machines work on Election Day?
The Bucks County Board of Elections prepares and delivers voting machines to voting districts.
The county is required by the secretary of the commonwealth to conduct logic and accuracy testing on the machines before each election.
In February, Bucks County amended its contract with Clear Ballot to include training on ClearVote software and hardware systems, according to a document reviewed by Technical.ly.
The document says Clear Ballot will provide two days of training to the county’s voting machines manager and interim Board of Elections director. The training covers how to create ballots, scan them into the system and count votes using Clear Ballot software.
What voting machines does Bucks County use?
Bucks County uses Clear Ballot voting machines. The county began using them in 2020, after Pennsylvania required all counties to adopt voting systems that provide a voter-verifiable paper record.
Voters fill out paper ballots by hand and feed them into a scanner. The machine scans both sides of the ballot to record results. Ballot images are stored in a database.
For voters who need disability accommodations, the system includes ClearAccess, which allows voters to fill out a ballot digitally and print it. The printed ballot can then be fed into the scanner the same way as a hand-marked ballot.
When were these systems last updated?
Clear Ballot software systems were upgraded in July 2023, according to a voting system upgrade attestation reviewed by Technical.ly. The agreement listed several software products, including ClearDesign, which is used to design ballots; ClearAccess; ClearCount, which counts votes; and ClearCast, which scans ballots.
The Clear Ballot systems used by Bucks County must also meet standards set by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. No software other than voting system software can be installed, according to the attestation.
What does the county do when something goes wrong?
If voting technology fails, the county Board of Elections must have backup paper ballots available so people can continue voting while the issue is addressed, according to the Department of State.
If any voting system technology malfunctions during an election, counties must report the incident to the secretary of the commonwealth within 60 days.
How does your vote get from the ballot box to the count?
Paper ballots are kept in a ballot box and transported to the Board of Elections office at the end of Election Day.
Ballots are retained for a set period in case a recount is required and for post-election audits.
How does the commonwealth check whether the count is accurate?
The Department of State advises county election boards to use security measures such as firewalls, data encryption and independent vulnerability assessments. Voting systems in Pennsylvania are not allowed to connect to internet-facing networks.
Pennsylvania requires counties to conduct two post-election audits: a statistical recount of 2% of submitted votes or 2,000 submitted votes, whichever is less, and a risk-limiting audit. Results from past audits are available on the state’s website.
How does the commonwealth secure voter data?
Pennsylvania’s Department of State maintains the security of SURE data, while counties are responsible for physical security.
Some SURE data is available to the public through the Department of State’s website. The state regularly updates spreadsheets with mail and absentee ballot data, as well as voter registration numbers by county, district and party.
The system has been in place since 2003. In recent years, some election workers have said it needs to be updated.
Is there a replacement plan for SURE?
The commonwealth announced plans in March 2025 to replace the SURE system with an election management system designed by software company Civix.
“The SURE system has undergone extensive upgrades and security enhancements [since 2003],” Al Schmidt, secretary of the commonwealth, said when the project was announced. “It has served the voters of Pennsylvania well and will continue to do so for a bit longer, until Civix customizes our new system.”
This article was edited by Technical.ly’s Katie Malone.
