And while no New York voter is required to show any identifications, voters can scan their driver’s licenses on the iPads to check in at polling places, Onondaga County Elections Commissioner Michelle Sardo said.
Voters this year will check-in with poll workers who’ll use an iPad to access enrollment information. That small computer screen will verify the voter’s address and specify which ballot that voter gets.
After the voter signs the screen, the poll worker will provide a receipt with the voter’s name and a number. The voter will use that receipt to pick up the corresponding ballot at a separate table.
“The voting process isn’t changing,” Sardo said. “Just the way you sign in.”
After you get your ballot, it’s all the same – a cardboard envelope for privacy, a black pen for filling in circles, and the ballot scanning machine when you’re done.
The process could be quicker than past years, Sardo said, because voters can go to any of the iPad workers at each polling district. In the past, voters had to check in at tables with enrollment books that specifically matched the voter’s polling district.
Plus, the workers have had practice with the new system. They used it during early voting, which ran from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3. As of Wednesday, 4,435 people voted in Onondaga County.
One important thing has stayed the same, despite the changes. “We don’t know who votes for who,” Sardo said.
Here are a few more things to know and remember about voting this year. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Sardo provided the answers:
What Happens If I Go To The Wrong Polling Place?
Each iPad contains the entire county voter registration roll. If you happen to go to the wrong place, the poll workers should be able to pinpoint which polling place is yours. “They can send you to the right polling place,” Sardo said.What Happens If I’m Not Listed Inside Those iPads?
The poll workers, or you, can call the Board of Elections to inquire. That number is 315-435-8683.If there’s still a problem with the enrollment verification, you can vote on Election Day by affidavit. That’s a paper ballot, which will go directly to the Board of Elections. Those votes are counted alongside absentee ballots, after Election Day.
Can I Take A Photo Or Selfie With My Ballot?
Sardo doesn’t recommend it. You might inadvertently capture someone else voting. But there’s nothing preventing you from taking a photo and showing people how you voted.Can I Ask For Help?
Yes. You can bring in a family member, or you can ask one of the poll workers for help in understanding the ballot. (Syracuse city voters: Don’t forget to turn your ballot over to answer the question about how the city should redistrict.)Can You Bring Your Kid?
Yes.If You’re In Line At 9 p.m. When The Polls Close, Can You Still Vote?
Yes. You must be in line, though, by closing time. You can’t get in line at 9:01 p.m. even if there are people waiting.©2019 Syracuse Media Group, N.Y.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
