Election Systems & Software (ES&S), LLC, partnered with Printelect, Inc., is privileged to add another Virginia locality to our customer base. This November, citizens of York County will cast votes using our DS200 tabulator thanks to the York County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous decision Tuesday. More details are available in the abbreviated article below.
York County Supervisors Agree to Purchase New Voting Machines
This November, York County citizens will be using a new voting system to cast their votes in the general election. The York County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase new voting machines and software that will replace the county’s current aging voting software, called AccuVote, and its companion, the WINVote machine used by voters with disabilities. “We’ve known this was coming,” he said at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, explaining the current system was approaching 20 years old.
The new system, called a DS200 optical scanner and manufactured by Election Systems and Software, will work much like the old system. Citizens will receive a paper ballot and will retreat to the private voting booth, where they will cast their votes by darkening the circles next to candidates’ names. Voters will then insert their paper ballots into the scanner, and if the ballot has been filled in and inserted correctly, a message will appear on the screen telling the person the vote has been successfully cast.
The companion ExpressVote Machine allows voters with disabilities to cast their ballots using a specialized touch screen. People with vision impairments, hearing issues or physical disabilities can use this machine, which has a larger font, an optional audio format and supports multiple languages while also removing any chance of unclear marks. The vote is recorded digitally, and a paper copy is printed for the voter to deposit directly into the scanner.
About 10 years ago, the York County Electoral Board began putting aside $20,000 a year in case the county’s current system failed or if the state called for localities to acquire new voting systems. Wolf said that fund will entirely cover the expenses for the new system, which is slated to be ready by the November general election.
Full Article: ES&S to Provide New Machines for York County’s November Election | Election Systems & Software.