This year, New York is replacing its old voting machines with new optical scan devices.  In order to familiarize voters with the new process, NY Democratic Lawyer’s Council Executive Director Alex Voetsch has helpfully prepared a useful primer on the new system.

***

While our voting machines will be changing this year, actually casting a ballot will not be that much different.  Optical scan voting will, for the first time, provide New Yorkers a verifiable paper record of each vote cast.

Upon entering a poll site, voters will find their Election District and sign into the election log book, just as before.  Then, they’ll take a blank paper ballot and enter a private booth to fill it out.  The ballot itself is similar to the bubble sheets used on standardized tests like the SAT.  Once the ballot is filled out and bubbled in correctly, the voter inserts it into the optical scan machine.  That's it. The vote is counted electronically and the ballot is saved as a record.  Detailed instructions and a video on how to vote can be viewed at the NYS Board of Elections website HERE.

If you do make a mistake on your ballot before submitting it, you can ask a poll worker for a new one.  If you accidentally vote for too many or too few people, the machine will tell you and give you a chance to reject and fix your ballot.  Poll workers will be available at each poll location to assist voters who have questions.  For more FAQs about voting on the new machines visit HERE.

In many counties you will have the opportunity to try out the new machines at a demonstration in your neighborhood.  Click HERE for a full listing of demonstrations in New York City or contact your county Board of Elections for demonstrations in your area.