In Lincoln County, voters will use a new upgraded voting machine system in the April 2nd election.
The county’s old machines used an outdated operating system.
WXPR spoke with the County Clerk about why the change was necessary and how this will improve voters’ experiences.
With the upcoming election, voting security and accessibility is at the forefront of Lincoln County Clerk, Chris Marlowe’s mind.
“It's like, night and day, compared to the old AutoMark,” said Marlowe.
The county had been using AutoMark voting machines, but they relied on Windows 7 for their operating systems.
When Microsoft announced they would no longer support the Windows 7 platform, Marlowe said that AutoMark machines became obsolete.
They’ve decided to replace them with ExpressVote machines, which use touch screen technology to print a paper ballot for voters to check.
ExpressVote machines are adjustable with different font sizes and brightness levels.
They use thermal paper, bypassing the need for ink cartridges.
“In our old system, the ink cartridges would dry up, and we'd have to replace them often, or get them unplugged,” explained Marlowe.
The system eliminates marginal marks and the need for interpretation of the voter’s intent, explained Marlowe.
He says that ExpressVote machines are very secure.
“They're encrypted in such a way that you know, it won't even react to another program or if somebody's trying to feed any type of thumb drive into these,” he said.
The system prioritizes accessibility with braille features and audio options.
Votes can be cast by touchscreen, detachable UVC keyboard or with ADA support peripherals, like a sip and puff device.
Marlowe pointed to Portage County, who now solely use ExpressVote machines.
“They believe that they're that easy to use. And it would be an advantage for both the voter because it kind of simplifies the process, it kind of walks them right through each individual race,” he said.
The county also updated its vote tabulator, the DS200, to support the new ExpressVotes.
Marlowe says their new system is the latest and greatest in voter equipment.
“If you over-vote a race, it just won't let you. It'll stop you and tell you what you did, it’ll prompt you to correct it before marking your ballot,” he explained.
Marlowe thinks that ExpressVote will improve absentee voting.
“On busy elections, when there's a lot of absentees that can get real cumbersome and can slow down the process for the election crews on election day in which then our results get to us later. This will help with that,” he said.
Part of the funding for the upgrades came from the county’s budget and part came from a grant available through the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Marlowe is excited for voters to try the system out during the upcoming April 2nd election.
