2010-2011 Budget
Schenectady County Board of Elections introduces new voting machines
March 24, 2010
As the result of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the Schenectady County Board of Elections is introducing new voting machines. They will be used for the first time at the school budget vote and board of education election on Tuesday, May 18.
The new machines are Digital Image Scanners (ES&S intElect DS200), which read and tabulate a completed paper ballot.
When residents come to vote they will receive a paper ballot and a privacy sleeve. The voter will then enter a private booth to fill out the ballot. Once he/she has marked his/her selections, the voter will insert the ballot into the scanner. A digital screen will display any errors on the ballot, which can be corrected before the vote is cast. Once the ballot has been marked, scanned and deposited in the “ballot bin,” it will be retained by the district in the event a re-count is necessary.
Election officials will be available on site to help.
New York State Election Law and the Help America Vote Act mandate that all lever machines must be replaced with a new digital scanning system that is accessible to all voters, including voters with disabilities.
View a step-by-step "How to Vote" video tutorial (.wmv file)
Schenectady County Board of Elections pamphlet (PDF file)
Schenectady County Voting Information
