New Montco voting system video demonstration
Montgomery County has scheduled a series of demonstrations of the county’s new voter-marked paper ballot system with a verifiable paper trail that will be in place for the May 2019 primary election. In addition to two stand-alone events, the Commissioners will combine their four annual “Conversations with the Commissioners” town hall events across the county with voting system demonstrations, according to a press release from the county.
The main voting demonstration, which does not include a town hall, is scheduled for this Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at Ambler Borough Hall, 131 Rosemary Avenue, Ambler, PA 19002.
For those who can not make it out to a demonstration, below is a ‘how-to’ video.
Montgomery County Voter Services will set up five simulated polling locations for voters to experience the new system first-hand. Limited parking will be available in the municipal lots adjacent to Ambler Borough Hall and all Saturday parking fees will be waived for this event. There is also street parking available throughout Ambler and a SEPTA parking lot at 30 South Main Street in Ambler that charges a $1 daily fee.
Another voting demonstration without a town hall will be held on Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, Swede Street Entrance Lobby, 1001 Powell Street, Norristown, PA 19401. There will be limited parking in the library’s parking lot. There is also street parking throughout Norristown.
There will also be demonstrations at four “Conversations with the Commissioners” town halls. The town halls will start at 7 p.m., but residents will have the opportunity to try out the new voting system starting at 6 p.m. The combined town halls and voter demonstrations will be held in King of Prussia, Pottstown, Pennsburg and Glenside.
The new system will replace the electronic push-button voting machines the County purchased in 1996 which were nearing the end of their useful life. The old machines also did not meet the state mandate for counties to have a voting system with a verifiable paper trail in place for the 2020 Presidential election.
With the new system, most voters will use a pen to fill out a ballot and have an opportunity to check it for accuracy before submitting it to scanner that tabulate the votes and keep the ballot in a secure container for audits or recounts.
Each polling place will also have an ADA touchscreen machine that can be used to select candidates. When the voter is done filling out the ballot, they can review their selections and print out a paper ballot that will be submitted to scanner for tabulation the same as the ballots filled out by hand.
2019 Voting System Demonstrations & Conversations with the Commissioners Schedule:
Voting Demonstration Only
Ambler Borough Hall
Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m. to noon
131 Rosemary Avenue
Ambler, PA 19002
Voting Demonstration & Conversations with the Commissioners
Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. voting demo & 7 p.m. town hall
Upper Merion Township Building
175 W. Valley Forge Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
Voting Demonstration Only
Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
Swede Street Entrance Lobby
1001 Powell St., Norristown, PA 19401
Voting Demonstration & Conversations with the Commissioners
Tuesday, April 23 at 6 p.m. voting demo & 7 p.m. town hall
Montgomery County Community College
West Campus
South Hall Community Room
101 College Drive
Pottstown, PA 19464
Voting Demonstration & Conversations with the Commissioners
Wednesday, May 1 at 6 p.m. voting demo & 7 p.m. town hall
Upper Perkiomen Education Center
Multipurpose Room
2229 East Buck Road
Pennsburg, PA 18073
Voting Demonstration & Conversations with the Commissioners
Monday, May 6 at 6 p.m. voting demo & 7 p.m. town hall
Arcadia University
Great Room
450 S. Easton Road
Glenside, PA 19038
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