NEW voting system

NEW PUSH TO CHANGE VOTING TECHNOLOGY IN MINESOTA 

More states are adopting touch-screen voting systems that can be used easily by voters. Some lawmakers would like to bring this technology to Minnesota. Others are reluctant to embrace the new technology.

Minnesota often leads the nation in voter turnout, but isn't always on the cutting edge of voting technology. One company wants to change that by convincing lawmakers touch screen voting is the wave of the future.

"The Express Vote (machine) is an assisted voting device that can also be used by other voters as well," said Mike Hoversten of Election Systems and Software. He points out that one machine can be used by voters of all abilities.

The Express Vote machine eventually produces a paper ballot, but it's smaller than the size of the ballot required by state law that is commonly used now. A change in state law would be required for counties to consider using the machine.

Minnesota uses paper ballots where voters fill in ovals and then put them in an optical scanning machine. Kiffmeyer said that system has worked well for a long time and has become a national model.

Express Vote gets the vote of the National Federation of the Blind as an easy-to-use system for visually impaired people because it can be used with a touch pad and headphones.

"There are lots of us in the National Federation of the Blind who've been testing these out, and they are easy to use," Judy Sanders of the federation's Minnesota office

The makers of Express Vote say their machines are in use in 28 states, including four counties in Minnesota. An effort will be made to offer an amendment to a state government or elections bill legalizing the smaller ballots before the end of the 2017 session.


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