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.”