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Midland County Elections office implements election security measures

Carolyn Graves, the Midland County Elections Administrator, said some of the new changes were necessary by law, but some were implemented by the elections office.

MIDLAND, Texas — The next time you step into a voting booth or walk inside a voting center, it is going to look and run differently.

This is due in part to the new state voting measures to ensure secure elections.

Senate Bill 1 went into effect at the end of 2021. The legislation hopes to increase election security.

NewsWest spoke to Carolyn Graves, Election Administrator for Midland County. She said her team has been hard at work to implement the changes brought on by these new laws. 

"SB 1 which has to do with elections is a very extensive law," said Graves. "It changed a lot of our forms and it changed a lot of our training. That is where the camera surveillance comes in too."

Graves said the biggest change is in supervision. She said sensitive points in the voting and counting process will now be under constant surveillance.

"Cameras will also be in our early voting ballot board room," said Graves. "Our central count, where things are tabulated on election night will have supervision."

Graves said the ballots will be protected even after the election days.

"In our ballot room, at the end of early voting and election night, the ballot bins will be transported directly to that room," said Graves. "That is where they will remain for 22 months and that room also has camera surveillance."

Graves told NewsWest 9 some changes not required by law were also implemented including one that affects how fast results are released to the public.

"We have a courier just to make things a little quicker," said Graves. "Not for us, but to get the numbers out to the media and the candidates earlier."

Early voting for the primary election begins on February 14. Early voting ends on February 25. The primary election will be on March 1st.

You must be registered to vote 30 days before the election. The deadline to register to vote is Monday, January 31, 2022. 

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