With election day coming up in just a few short days, The Era
decided to check on what the senior population thinks about the new
voting machines.

Tuesday will be the second opportunity for voters to use the new
electronic machines.

“Everybody’s going to be shaky at first,” said Ted Zamberlan of
Lewis Run. “I’m kind of afraid of computers – I think they bite,
but I’m gonna try it.”

Zamberlan was on hand at the Bradford Area Senior Activity
Center Friday. He admits that, while watching the demonstration
that was held at the senior center, he thought the process was
“pretty neat.”

Director of Elections Judy Ordiway said that with all of the
demonstrations they held around the county, turnout was low
overall.

“The feedback from the elections officers is that there was not
much interest at all,” she said.

She explained that during the week of Oct. 9, they held a series
of demonstrations at area senior centers including the Bradford,
Eldred, Smethport, Port Allegany, Kane and Mount Jewett senior
centers.

A demonstration was held at Emery Towers as well.

Elections officer Jim Belardia said that while he worked the
first shift at the Emery Towers demonstration, he saw only one
person come through to watch the demonstration.

“The judge in the second watch only saw one person, too. It may
have picked up later in the day,” said Belardia.

This will be the second time voters in the county will have a
chance at using the new machines, which were created to replace the
lever-type machines as part of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
spurred by the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race and the ballot
review that ensued.

The first chance McKean County voters had to use the electronic
machines was in the primary election.

Helen Ewell of Bradford said she already voted using the new
machines and didn’t have a problem.

“I like them. It’s very simple,” she said, and when asked if she
has worked on computers before she said, “No – I don’t care for
them. The girl explained it and she was very helpful,” she said of
her first experience.

Carol Steck, director of the Bradford Area Senior Center, said
that they had several people at the demonstration.

“They seemed comfortable. It is not as difficult as it seems –
it is sort of fun,” said Steck. “I think it was a good turnout,”
she added, admitting that a demonstration held in Bradford Township
did not yield as many visitors.

“But they may be starting to realize that if they are going to
have a say in the voting, they need to get used to it. I am not
sure why they didn’t have a good turnout at Emery Towers,” added
Steck.

Ted Johnson of Bradford agrees and said he doesn’t have a
problem with the new machines.

“I think they’re all right myself,” he said. “They don’t make me
nervous – no, not really.”

Running the demonstration at the Smethport Senior Center earlier
last month was Marge Adams, a new elections judge for Annin
Township.

“Not very many people came, a few from the outside (of the
senior center activities). Maybe six total,” she said. “The machine
tells you what to do. I think people are afraid. But they weren’t
confused, they seemed to understand when they were shown.”

Foster Township resident Liz Lindemuth said she thinks the
machines are very nice.

“Anybody that comes to the center shouldn’t have any problems,”
she said. “There were demonstrations on the computer and here at
the senior center.”