Voting equipment a hit, Orr says
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 11, 2007
Voters are pleased with touch screen and optical scan voting in suburban Cook County, according to an exit poll held during the April 17, 2007 Consolidated Election.
Ninety-seven percent of those interviewed rated their Election Day experiences as “very satisfactory” or “satisfactory,” according to the poll conducted by Data Prompt International.
“I’m pleased the voters responded so well to the new equipment,” Cook County Clerk David Orr said. “And those who used the touch screens were especially positive about their experience.”
Nearly 2,000 people were interviewed at 20 large, multi-precinct polling places in the suburbs. At each location, interviewers approached voters after they had cast their ballots and asked them a short series of questions about their Election Day experience.
Of those surveyed, 1,328 chose to vote on the touch screens, while 603 chose to vote a paper ballot.
According to the survey, older and less educated voters were more likely than others to vote on a paper ballot. Differences by gender and ethnicity were less pronounced, although men and Hispanics were slightly more likely to choose the paper ballot rather than the touch screen.
The Consolidated Election marked the fourth time that suburban Cook County had used the dual-system voting equipment. To comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, the county began using optical scan and touch screen machines in March 2006.
“The results of the exit poll help reassure us that we are headed in the right direction – especially with the presidential primary just around the corner,” Orr said. These findings mirror results of a survey of early voters. Over 99 percent of the 3,070 voters surveyed reported an “excellent” or “very good” experience after casting ballots on touch screens.
The Consolidated Election consisted of 730 races, approximately 2,400 candidates, 767 ballot styles, 530 jurisdictions, 52 referendums and 81 write-in candidates. It involved 2,370 precincts with 10,100 election judges and utilized 10,000 pieces of equipment and 7,500 cartridges.
To obtain the exit poll results, follow this link or call (312) 603-0931. Information about other services from the County Clerk’s office can be seen at www.cookctyclerk.com.