Activation key for voting machine reported missing from polling station

EDINBURG — An activation key used by the Hidalgo County Elections Department to turn on voting machines at the Elections Annex substation is missing.

An elections judge in charge of the polling place at 317 N. Closner Blvd. notified county elections administrator Yvonne Ramón when the activation key disappeared Wednesday. The elections judge believes the key was misplaced during curbside voting, which is offered to disabled voters.

The activation key is only used by the election judges to activate the electronic voting machines, a county news release states. It is removed from the machine before any voting takes place.

“This is an unfortunate occurrence, but not one without a remedy,” Ramón said in the statement. “I assure voters that absolutely no malfeasance occurred and the misplacement of the device was simple human error.”

The elections department is keeping a close eye on the number of votes cast in relation to the number of voter signatures, Ramón said. The department is also in the process of verifying every vote.

There is a concern that someone could attempt to use the activation device to cast additional ballots. However, the county says in the statement that election workers are trained to activate the machine for every voter.

The poll workers were notified to be more observant at all early voting locations. Extra staff members were also sent to the polling locations to oversee the election process.

“All preventative measures have been taken to ensure a fair election,” Ramón said.

The Texas Secretary of State’s Office was notified about the missing activation key. A theft report was also filed with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Hidalgo County Elections Department at (956) 318-2570.