Across the country, local election directors are beefing up their security to keep their workers and polling places safe while also ensuring that ballots and voting procedures won’t be tampered with.

Some states use hand counts when conducting recounts in close elections, or as part of routine post-election audits, said Mark Lindeman, the policy and strategy director for Verified Voting, which supports the responsible use of technology in elections. A handful of tiny jurisdictions use hand counts in place of voting machines.