SCHENECTADY COUNTY Some districts using new voting machines BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.
Tuesday’s school board elections in three districts in Schenectady County will feature new voting machines, the Digital Image Scanners, which read and tabulate a completed paper ballot. Gone are the mechanical lever machines that were commonly used for decades. “This will be the largest single deployment of our fleet,” said Republican Election Commissioner Art Brassard. The Board of Elections will deploy 34 machines, out of 95, for school board elections in the Niskayuna, Scotia-Glenville and Mohonasen school districts. Residents of other school districts in the county will not use the new machines. Democratic Election Commissioner Brian Quail said the use of the machines on such a large scale will help people become more familiar with the devices. He said the county Board of Elections will use the digital devices for all elections after the school district vote. The commissioners said the machines have performed flawlessly in prior elections. The county started using them last year. “They are very easy to use,” Brassard said. Quail added, “People should have complete confidence in them.” The machines were mandated under the federal Help America Vote Act, enacted to improve voting accuracy and access for the disabled after the 2000 presidential election. Counties throughout the state had to purchase the machines, using state funds. .............>>>>.....................>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01903&AppName=1
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