Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Asst. Chief Elections Officer & Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
(Redwood City, CA) Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk- Recorder, announced today that the Logic and Accuracy (L&A) testing of San Mateo County’s voting system will begin on Wednesday, September 23, at 8:30 a.m., in preparation for the November 3, 2026 Statewide General Election.
The testing will take place at the Registration & Elections Division, located at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo.
“The public and the media are welcome to observe the testing process and see firsthand how we verify the accuracy of our vote tabulation system,” said Church. “L&A testing helps ensure that all voting equipment to be used in the upcoming election is functioning properly.”
Before each election, the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division conducts sample ballot-casting exercises to test the vote-counting system and verify that votes are accurately tabulated and recorded.
L&A testing is performed in two phases:
The first phase focuses on traditional paper ballots. Ballots in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino are marked according to predetermined test patterns and then scanned to verify that the votes are accurately read and tabulated. The ballots are processed using scanners that work in conjunction with the vote counting system called Image Cast Central (ICC). ICC reads the voting marks within a predetermined space on the ballot and records them. This phase is successfully completed only when the results produced by the system perfectly match the predetermined test results.
The second phase focuses on the Ballot Marking Tablets (BMTs). English, Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino ballots for the election are marked in a predetermined pattern and then scanned. This phase is successfully completed only when the results produced by the system perfectly match the predetermined test results.
Additionally, all equipment designated for use at Vote Centers, including Ballot Marking Tablets, Ballot Marking Tablet Printers, and Mobile Ballot Printers, will undergo function testing to verify that each device is operating properly. The testing also confirms that the equipment is loaded with the correct system software and firmware certified by the California Secretary of State.
Once L&A and functionality testing are successfully completed, the voting equipment will be prepared for deployment to 50 Vote Centers throughout San Mateo County for the November 3, 2026 Statewide General Election.
Voting Equipment – Liberty Vote
San Mateo County uses the Liberty Vote Voting System, known as Democracy Suite. This state-certified, fully integrated voting system is designed to provide a secure, accurate, and transparent voting process.
Democracy Suite generates paper ballots, allowing voters to review their selections for accuracy before casting their ballot. Following each election, post-election audits, including a manual tally of randomly selected ballots, are conducted to verify the accuracy of the vote-counting system and confirm that the reported results accurately reflect the ballots cast.
San Mateo County has successfully used the Democracy Suite voting system since November 2019. The system, formerly provided under the Dominion Voting Systems name, is now known as the Liberty Vote Voting System.
Early Voting Period Begins October 5, 2026
All registered San Mateo County voters will be mailed a Vote by Mail ballot beginning in October 2026. Three Vote Centers will open for in-person voting beginning October 5, 2026, with additional Vote Centers opening throughout the early voting period and through Election Day, November 3, 2026.
For more information about the November 3, 2026 Statewide General Election, call or text (650) 312-5222, visit www.smcacre.gov, or follow us on X @smcvote and Instagram @sanmateocountyvote.