SMETHPORT – Voters across McKean County will be able to receive
hands-on demonstrations of how to use the new electronic voting
machines starting next week.
On Thursday, Director of Elections Judy Ordiway announced the
times and dates for the demonstrations, which will help usher in
the county’s changeover from archaic lever-type machines to
electronic versions.
The change is needed as part of the federal Help America Vote
Act (HAVA), which was born out of the controversial 2000 Bush-Gore
presidential race which was eventually settled in the U.S. Supreme
Court as a result of Florida’s protracted ballot review. The county
had to purchase the machines through the Department of State.
McKean County is one of 24 counties statewide where the
changeover is taking place. Officials said the county currently has
$320,000 in HAVA funding available to purchase the new machines.
Additional funding will be used to upgrade voting precincts across
the county for handicap accessibility.
County Administrator Richard Casey said previously the county is
in line to receive 70 machines for its 42 voting districts.
Officials want at least two machines at each precinct and others as
backups that can be moved around on election day as needed. One
precinct – Sergeant Township – will continue to use paper ballots
per referendum.
Ordiway said Thursday the public demonstrations – which will
take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at locations county-wide – will
begin Monday in Port Allegany at the borough municipal building and
at the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport.
Ordiway said election officers will help with the
demonstrations.
Other demonstrations will be held at the following:
* April 27 at the Eldred Township Firehall;
* May 2 at the Kane Borough Firehall and Bradford Township
Municipal Building;
* May 4 at Bradford City Hall in the third floor council
chambers (handicap entrance in the back) and the Bradford Area
Public Library; and
*ðMay 8 at the Foster Township Municipal Building.
A demonstration will also take place in Mount Jewett Borough at
a location to be announced on April 27.
Ordiway said the electronic systems are a little larger than a
suitcase, with a more rectangular screen. The machines come
equipped with safeguards for voters making mistakes during the
process and will be able to handle write-in candidates.
The official tabulation will still be done at the elections
office at the courthouse.
Voters wanting to practice on the system, can do so at the
county’s Web site at. There is a link available from the company
who manufactured the machines to the county’s home page.
