BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KFTA) — Recent hacks of election websites bring up the question of whether your vote is truly being protected, even prompting Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to call an emergency meeting to address the issue last week.

Benton County’s Election Commission said the voting machines used to scan ballots are in no way connected to the internet.

Once ballot information is submitted it is under lock and key until the commission retrieves it that same evening.

The county’s website showing results is also kept as secure as possible.

“I would put our Benton County website security up against anyone,” said Betsy Harrell, Benton County’s chief deputy clerk. “We have a wonderful staff and they work hard every day to make sure we are up to date on all of the security measures.”

The commission  will be continuously monitoring its website to ensure a third party isn’t making changes.

Harrell said when election websites are hacked it only affects the numbers on the screen – the public’s votes are not compromised.