When Maryland voters head to the polls next year, there will be two different systems in place for both early voting and the general election, including the use of paper ballots. The Baltimore City Board of Elections provided a first look at the new way of voting being rolled out across the state next year. Maryland is going back to a paper ballot for the general election, but early voting in April will involve paper and a computer. City election director Armstead Jones said the new system will help create oversight. “Several years ago people talked about wanting a receipt,” Jones said. “Unfortunately they still won’t have a receipt, but the paper will serve as a backup.”
Election information systems specialist Shawn Larson said primary election voters will get an activation card when they check in, which is then placed in a printer.
A voter will then receive a barcode that is put into another device, which will scan the card and bring up a ballot on which voters make their selections much like the old voting machines.
“On the old machines you would cast your ballot right on the machine,” Larson said. “Not anymore.” Larson said voters will now print copies of ballots and take them to another machine, where the ballots will be recorded and the cards stored.
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