FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Cook County voters will make history Tuesday as they cast votes by marking paper ballots or using electronic touch-screen machines.
For the first time since the 1976 primary election, voters in suburban Cook County will not cast punch card ballots. Using federal funds authorized by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the county purchased the dual voting system last year.
“Both the paper and electronic ballots have been well received during early voting,” said Cook County Clerk David Orr, noting that Illinois is only the second state to conduct an election under the HAVA guidelines that took effect Jan. 1. “Each system is easy to use and has safeguards in place to protect against mistakes.”
The paper ballots are similar to a standardized test. Voters mark a circle next to the candidates of their choice. After making selections, voters insert their ballots into a scanner that alerts them to possible errors (e.g. overvotes) and gives them a second chance to make corrections.
The electronic touch screens are similar to ATMs. Voters make selections by pressing the names of candidates on a computer screen. After making selections, a summary screen allows voters to review their choices and make changes. A paper audit trail prints out but remains secret and sealed inside a canister in case of a recount.
Illinois becomes only the second state in the country to use touch-screen machines equipped with paper audit trails. Nevada used the exact same voting machines, manufactured by Sequoia Voting Systems, in November 2004.
HAVA requires that every polling place have at least one touch screen machine available for voters with disabilities. Each touch screen comes with an optional audio ballot and keypad to allow blind, visually impaired and voters with limited dexterity to cast ballots.
At each polling place, voters will get to choose to vote a paper ballot or use a touch screen machine. Although any voter can use the touch screen, voters with disabilities have priority.
Orr cautioned that because election judges must consolidate the vote totals from both the optical scanner and touch-screen machines, and process and count the early voting ballots at the precinct level after the polls close, election results will begin to arrive much later than in previous years.
“We expect voter errors to decline as a result of the new systems,” Orr said. “Votes will get counted more accurately and remain secure, but it will take longer to report vote totals on election night.”
Orr noted that many county voters have already used the new equipment. Thousands of suburban Cook County voters have cast ballots by taking advantage of early voting, which runs 18 days from Feb. 27 through Thursday.
In addition, 151 suburban Cook County voters took advantage of the new grace-period registration law that extended the registration deadline by two weeks.
“These new laws provide more opportunities for people with busy schedules to register and cast ballots when it’s convenient for them,” Orr said.
Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters do not have to show identification to vote but should bring an ID along if there is an issue regarding their eligibility to vote.
Voters can visit www.voterinfonet.com to locate their polling place, verify their registration, and view the races and candidates that will appear on their ballot.
By the numbers/Suburban Cook County:
Candidates:
- Democrats: 303
- Republicans: 142
- Others: 10
Races: 395
Referendums: 63 (including one countywide)
Precincts: 2,386
Registered voters: 1.384 million