TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County's new voting machines are going to be implemented this upcoming September and November elections as well as the 2020 presidential election.
These machines are safer and faster for the voters and for those who work in the elections.
The 1,500 machines cost $6.5 million and they were chosen to keep things similar to how people are already used to voting.
Sometimes with a new system, people get confused with how it works. But with this one, once someone enters their ballot in the system the machine does the rest.
It is supposed to help with accuracy because of the possibility of people making stray marks or not filling something in dark enough.
"Just the hand marking of anything definitely takes longer. This gives you the security of hand marking that a lot of voters still want, but it's electronic marking," said the Lucas County Board of Elections Director, Lavera Scott. "This allows them to be able to verify that information before their ballot is cast, so I think it'll be faster, eventually, I think that it'll be safer and I think that it'll be well perceived."
According to Scott, the machines were bought and have to be implemented this year or they won't be able to use them during the 2020 elections.
Once the 2020 election comes, their hope is that voters will be able to understand how the system works and move through the ballot quickly.
People in the community are able to come out and try these new voting machines from July 29 through Aug. 3. Demonstrations start at 9 a.m. and last all day until 6 p.m. The hours on Saturday are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The new machines will go into operation during the primary election on Sep. 10, 2019.
