Lever voting machines outlawed in school elections
NORWICH – Voters who cast a ballot in their school district elections later this year won’t be greeted by the familiar red-handled lever voting machines.
In August, 2014, state law was signed that requires special district elections, such as schools, libraries, and villages, as well as fire and water districts, to migrate from use of lever voting machines to a modernized voting system in order to make elections more accurate, auditable, accessible, and transparent.
Until this year, districts have gotten an extension which allowed them to continue use of lever voting machines. That extension, however, expired on Dec. 31, meaning special districts, including schools, must now consider a different voting system.
“We are hearing from school districts that want to use the (modern) voting machines,” said Chenango Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Mary Lou Monahan. “The biggest issue is that voting machines have to be ADA compliant.”
While the county Board of Elections does not oversee special district elections, it does oversee the electronic voting machines used in local, state, and federal elections throughout the county.
“Since those machines are purchased with federal taxpayer dollars, they’re not our machines. So if a school board wants to use them, or a village wants to use them, we can't say no,” explained Monahan.
To help schools meet the state’s new voting system criteria, the Board of Elections is talking with school administrators in districts throughout the county. In addition to polling machines, the Board of Elections must also provide voting machine transport and qualified poll workers. Expenses will be paid by the Board of Elections and reimbursed by the voting school district.
“There are rules and laws for school elections that are very different from ours. We're just providing the tools for them to hold their own election,” said Monahan.
The New York State Board of Elections is encouraging special districts to contact their respective county boards of elections to determine and understand the dynamics of either transferring elections to the county boards or arranging for the use and support of optical scan voting systems.
In August, 2014, state law was signed that requires special district elections, such as schools, libraries, and villages, as well as fire and water districts, to migrate from use of lever voting machines to a modernized voting system in order to make elections more accurate, auditable, accessible, and transparent.
Until this year, districts have gotten an extension which allowed them to continue use of lever voting machines. That extension, however, expired on Dec. 31, meaning special districts, including schools, must now consider a different voting system.
“We are hearing from school districts that want to use the (modern) voting machines,” said Chenango Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Mary Lou Monahan. “The biggest issue is that voting machines have to be ADA compliant.”
While the county Board of Elections does not oversee special district elections, it does oversee the electronic voting machines used in local, state, and federal elections throughout the county.
“Since those machines are purchased with federal taxpayer dollars, they’re not our machines. So if a school board wants to use them, or a village wants to use them, we can't say no,” explained Monahan.
To help schools meet the state’s new voting system criteria, the Board of Elections is talking with school administrators in districts throughout the county. In addition to polling machines, the Board of Elections must also provide voting machine transport and qualified poll workers. Expenses will be paid by the Board of Elections and reimbursed by the voting school district.
“There are rules and laws for school elections that are very different from ours. We're just providing the tools for them to hold their own election,” said Monahan.
The New York State Board of Elections is encouraging special districts to contact their respective county boards of elections to determine and understand the dynamics of either transferring elections to the county boards or arranging for the use and support of optical scan voting systems.
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