How do I know that my vote was counted?

Answer 1

As an election inspector for the City of East Lansing, what I can tell you is that how we run elections here, every ballot has a ballot number that is removed before casting, and then and only then we match that ballot number to your name. Since we don't remove a ballot number for a ballot not being cast, we can be 100% certain that everyone who voted and no one who didn't had their ballot cast. Our ballot tabulation equipment also beeps annoyingly at voters who have not filled their ballot out completely, so that we're sure that when people intend to vote, that vote gets counted properly.