Maryland voters can expect a change in how they vote for the upcoming 2016 election. The debut of a new voting system is being unveiled in April 2016, when early voting begins. In preparation for the next election, the Washington County Board of Elections spent National Voter Registration Day teaching citizens about the new system. “A lot of people wanted to have a paper ballot that they could review before it was inserted into the scanning unit. So, it gives them that option to be able to review that ballot,” said Kaye Robucci, election director, Washington County. This means that on Election Day, voters can specify whether they want to use the paper ballot or the ballot marking device.
The new system combines the paper system used in the 90s with the modern touch screen system. Election officials said there will be one scanning unit and one ballot marking device at every polling station in Washington County. During early voting in April, the ballot marking device will be the only option.
“They did elect to go back to a more paper ballot, where you are in control of who you vote for and then you slide it in the machine and it counts it. So, there’s something to go back to later… a product that can be reviewed if there are discrepancies,” said Brett Wilson, House of Delegates Representative. The switch came after the state required a paper trail for each ballot.