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 commence on Wednesday, September 24, at 8:30 a.m. in preparation for the Statewide Special Election on November 4, 2025. 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 our testing process for accuracy of the tabulation of votes,” said Church. “Logic and Accuracy testing ensures all voting equipment used in the upcoming election functions properly.”
Before each election, the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division conducts sample ballot-casting exercises to test the vote-counting software and verify that votes are accurately tabulated and recorded.
Two Phases of L&A Testing:
The first phase focuses on traditional paper ballot voting. Ballots in English, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino are marked according to a predetermined pattern. These marked ballots are then scanned to verify that the votes cast match the patterns on the ballots. This phase is only completed when there is a perfect match between the test votes cast and the predetermined test results.
In the second phase, the focus shifts to the Ballot Marking Tablets (BMTs). English, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino ballots for the election are marked in a predetermined pattern. The votes are recorded by running the ballots through scanners. These scanners work in connection with the vote counting system called Image Cast Central (ICC). ICC reads voting marks within a predetermined space on the ballot and records them. This phase is passed only when there is a perfect match between the votes cast and the predetermined test results.
Additionally, equipment for every Vote Center, including Ballot Marking Tablets, Ballot Marking Tablet Printers and Mobile Ballot Printers, will undergo function testing. Function testing ensures the proper operation of all voting equipment used at the Vote Centers. This testing process also confirms that the equipment is loaded with the correct system software and firmware, as certified by the Secretary of State.
Once the Logic & Accuracy (L&A) and functionality testing are completed, the voting equipment will be prepared for deployment at the 15 Vote Centers for the November 4, 2025 Statewide Special Election.
Voting Equipment – Dominion Voting Systems
San Mateo County uses the Dominion Voting System known as Democracy Suite. This state-certified, fully integrated voting system provides the highest level of election security and transparency to the public.
Democracy Suite generates paper ballots, enabling voters to review their selections to ensure accuracy. Post-election manual tallies of the votes cast serve as audits, validating the accuracy and reliability of the results, confirming the integrity of the election outcomes.
San Mateo County has successfully used the Dominion Democracy Suite voting system since November 2019.
Early Voting Period October 6 to November 3, 2025
San Mateo County’s registered voters will start receiving their Vote by Mail ballots in early October, for the November 4, 2025 Statewide Special Election.
Starting October 6, 2025, two Vote Centers will be open and remain available through Election Day. Additional Vote Centers will open on October 25 and November 1.
For more information, please call or text (650) 312-5222, visit smcacre.gov, or follow us on X @smcvote.