Hillsborough County's voting machines passed their required pre-election accuracy test Thursday, Oct. 1. The same day, more than 146,000 vote-by-mail ballots were prepared for delivery to domestic voters.

Voting machines pass public test

The Hillsborough County Canvassing Board conducted the Logic and Accuracy Test, a public check required by Florida law before every election, as first reported by WTSP. Election officials fed pre-marked ballots through a random selection of voting equipment and compared the results with expected totals.

Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer said the test confirmed the equipment was ready for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.

"This is exactly why you can trust this process," Latimer said. "We just conducted this public logic and accuracy test proving that the machines count accurately."

After testing, the equipment was sealed and secured until it is deployed for the election.

More than 146,000 mail ballots prepared

The elections office prepared more than 146,000 vote-by-mail ballots for domestic voters for mailing Oct. 1. Those ballots go only to voters who previously requested them.

The county had already sent 2,721 ballots to military and overseas voters, CBS News Miami reported.

Latimer encouraged voters using mail ballots to track them and sign up for notifications. In a Sept. 19 statement, he noted that mail generally takes about a week to reach its destination.

Key dates for Apollo Beach and Ruskin voters

For Apollo Beach and Ruskin voters, both of whom are in Hillsborough County, key dates for the Nov. 3 election include, according to WUSF:

  • Monday, Oct. 5: Deadline to register to vote
  • Oct. 19 through Nov. 1: Early voting in Hillsborough County, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Oct. 22 by 5 p.m.: Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot
  • Nov. 3 by 7 p.m.: Completed vote-by-mail ballots must arrive at the elections office; polls close at 7 p.m.

Common Cause Florida Executive Director Amy Keith said in mid-September that voting rules for the Nov. 3 election are the same as in 2024. A new election law, HB 991, does not take effect until Jan. 1, 2027, CBS News Miami reported.

Florida's vote-by-mail request rules mean voters should not assume a request made for a previous election remains active. Voters who want to vote by mail can check the status of their request before the Oct. 22 deadline.

Voters can visit VoteHillsborough.gov for early voting locations, vote-by-mail information and ballot-tracking tools.