Tuesday is election day and also a time to experiment in Schuylkill County.
It's a busy time at the Schuylkill County Election Bureau in Pottsville. Everybody is getting ready for the big day, including Chris Ambrose. She's in charge of a polling place and picked up her machines and other election day gear.
"I have to go over what I have to do and have to get ready for the election. I have to check and see if all the people are going to work at the polls," Ambrose said.
At two polling places, voters will find something new as part of an experiment. It's this electronic device. Instead of voters signing in to an old-fashioned book to prove who they are and that they're eligible to vote, a computer will find their name and then voters will sign in electronically. Company officials trying to sell the system said their unit is versatile.
"When voters are out at the polls and they wander into the wrong polling place, the system will redirect the voter to the correct polling place and that saves time too," explained Ross Underwood of Premier Election Solutions.
Frannie Brennan, the election director, said verifying that all the votes are legitimate with the new system will be quicker after the polls close.
"Now with this they can download in half a day, everybody will receive credit for voting in half a day compared to three, four days, sometimes a week," Brennan said.
If the county decides to go with the units, each one will cost $1,800, reimbursable through the federal government.
It's a busy time at the Schuylkill County Election Bureau in Pottsville. Everybody is getting ready for the big day, including Chris Ambrose. She's in charge of a polling place and picked up her machines and other election day gear.
"I have to go over what I have to do and have to get ready for the election. I have to check and see if all the people are going to work at the polls," Ambrose said.
At two polling places, voters will find something new as part of an experiment. It's this electronic device. Instead of voters signing in to an old-fashioned book to prove who they are and that they're eligible to vote, a computer will find their name and then voters will sign in electronically. Company officials trying to sell the system said their unit is versatile.
"When voters are out at the polls and they wander into the wrong polling place, the system will redirect the voter to the correct polling place and that saves time too," explained Ross Underwood of Premier Election Solutions.
Frannie Brennan, the election director, said verifying that all the votes are legitimate with the new system will be quicker after the polls close.
"Now with this they can download in half a day, everybody will receive credit for voting in half a day compared to three, four days, sometimes a week," Brennan said.
If the county decides to go with the units, each one will cost $1,800, reimbursable through the federal government.
