New Voting Machine Demo at Bronx Courthouse

   Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Board of Elections gave those in attendance a demonstration on exactly how the new ballot scan voting machines work. Board of Elections spokeswoman Valerie Vasquez along with Bronx Board of Elections Commissioners J.C. Polanco (republican) and Naomi Barrera (democrat) who were on hand to say a few words on just how easy it is to use the new voting machines. Ms. Vasquez said that there has been community outreach with neighborhood demos such as today's, to ads on buses, in newspapers, and on television and radio. BP Diaz said that it is important for people come out and vote. He added that "this is a very important election, and we will be using new voting machines".

   The demo started with BP Diaz being given a sample ballot to fill out in one of the available privacy booths that was equipped with a magnifying sheet if needed. BP Diaz read the items on each line to be voted, and said aloud his choices on the sample ballot. When he was finished filling out the sample ballot he was instructed to feed the finished ballot in to the Ballot Scan Machine (see photo below). After accepting the ballot the number one came up in the vote tally area to show that the ballot was accepted and counted. BP Diaz asked for another sample ballot this time to mark more than one choice in the same line. When he fed the finished second ballot into the Ballot Scan Machine a red and green light came up warning that there was an error on the ballot. The red light was to be touched if the voter wants to redo their choices on a different ballot, or the green light can be touched if the voter wants the incorrect ballot to be processed anyway with the error. Voters will be given up to three times to cast a ballot on the new machines if an error happens.

  We would caution you however to check you ballot before you start marking it for any errant stray marks that may have gotten onto it by accident that could be read by the Ballot Scan Machine to void one or more lines. If you do receive a ballot with a mark on it you should go to the person in charge at the polling site to report it, and you may want to also call the board of elections at 212-487-5300 to report it also.

   We must say that we might agree with the candidate in the 33rd State Senate District who has asked for federal observers to oversee the election in that district, and we can think of other districts where impartial observers might be needed. We however hope that it does not come to a court case like was the case in the 2000 Florida election.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. feeds sample ballot into the new Ballot Scan Voting Machine. Ms. Valerie Vasquez of the Board of Elections is also in the photo.