Secretary of State
Secretary Grayson Highlights Newer Voting Equipment in Counties

(Bardwell, KY) Secretary of State Trey Grayson is visiting seven counties this week to highlight newer voting equipment that will be in use in all precincts in those counties.  The system provides a voter verified paper record, something Grayson has encouraged counties to consider when they adopt voting systems. 

“This new equipment is user-friendly and provides voters with a very important tool in today’s elections—a voter verified paper record,” said Secretary of State Trey Grayson.  “I applaud the County Clerks and Fiscal Courts in these counties for taking the lead in moving to these systems.”

The equipment, called eScans, is a precinct-based voting system that digitally captures voter selections on printed ballots and integrates vote totals from absentee-by-mail and electronic voting systems to produce a single set of election reports.  In fact, over 90 counties in Kentucky already use the machines for absentee balloting.  The new systems should help reduce the time for unofficial vote totals to be tabulated on election night.

Voters will recognize the ballot casting procedure as similar to standardized tests where citizens fill in an oval to mark their selection.  With the digital scan technology, the system reads the ballot, tabulates the results and preserves a digital image of the ballot.  Multiple voters will be able to mark ballots at one time, reducing lines at the polls.

            eScan’s capabilities include functionality to reject overvoted, undervoted and blank ballots thereby providing second chance voting at the precinct, just as voters would have through the use of the Direct Recording Equipment, commonly known as “electronic voting machines.” With eScan, voters know instantly if their ballot was accepted or rejected and have the opportunity to change or correct their ballot before it is cast and counted.

            Each county will still have an accessible voting machine at each polling location in order to remain compliant with the Federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002.       Voters will have the choice to use either machine to cast their ballot.

            “These systems should reduce wait times at the polls, provide quicker results, and bring even great accountability to Kentucky’s lauded election’s process.  I look forward to more counties implementing this technology,” stated Grayson.

The seven counties will receive a reimbursement for a majority of the costs of the machines from the State Board of Elections.  The money comes from Federal HAVA funds.

The counties with the new voting equipment are: Boyle, Carlisle, Christian, Daviess, Garrard, Hardin, and Logan.

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