TUSCALOOSA CO., Ala. (WBRC) – With the statewide election less than a week away, Alabama counties must test their voting machines before voters go to the polls.

Tuscaloosa County uses three different machines on Election Day.

Electronic poll books help cast votes, express voting machines help people with special needs vote, and other voters use regular ballot counting machines.

WBRC observed officials testing some of these machines for accuracy before Election Day.

Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson tested a randomly selected machine and gave him several test ballots.

Election officials wanted to force errors and ensure the machine caught the problem.

Representatives of the Republican and Democratic parties were also present at the test run.

“We have ordered tests that we have to go through. We need to make sure they are set to zero. We go through it again and again and make sure different scenarios are taken into account,” Judge Robertson said. “Sometimes there are errors on ballot papers. How is this handled? If you were given a blank ballot and pushed through it, it would be rejected. Make sure all of these things work as they should and that the county comes out.”

Judge Robertson adds that the largest polling place in Alabama is in Tuscaloosa County.

This is the Bobby Miller Activity Center, where more than 10,000 people are registered to vote.

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