Assemblywoman Margaret Markey and a Woodside Senior Center member try out new vote scanner when the NYC Board of Elections demonstrated the new voting system that will replace the old lever machines beginning with the upcoming September primary day.

"When you go to your polling place on the next Election Day, you will find that the clunky old lever voting machines are gone and will instead record your vote on a paper ballot that you then run through a scanner to be recorded," said Assemblywoman Margaret Markey.

It's a new era for voting in elections throughout New York State that is a result of the federal Help American Vote Act of 2002 which mandated that voters throughout America must have new voting systems in use no later than 2010.

"To help familiarize voters with the new system I have been working with the New York City Board of Elections over recent weeks to sponsor demonstrations of the new equipment at branches of the Queens Public Library and seniors," said the Assemblywoman.

The final demonstration in the series will take place on Wednesday, August 25, between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. at the Maspeth branch of the Queens Public Library, 69-61 Grand Avenue, in Maspeth, Queens.

"The system is simple to operate and people have been interested to try it out, but as with anything new, we can probably look forward to many challenges on election day as both poll workers and voters learn how to use it," added the Assemblywoman, "and I hope these demonstrations will help make it easier for those who have been able to see it in action."

The new equipment selected by New York, is a scanner made by Elections Systems & Software Inc. Voters have a privacy booth where they can mark their ballots and a magnifying sheet is provided for those who have vision challenges, The system also includes an AutoMARK ballot marking device which permits voters with disabilities to vote privately at every polling site using a touch screen, audio headphones, a Braille keypad and other methods.

Board of Elections official Valerie Vazquez explains new voting system to Assemblywoman Markey and a resident of Big Six Towers on Queens Boulevard at one of a series of demonstrations organized by Assemblywoman Markey at local senior centers and public library branches.

"When you scan your paper ballot the system uses an optical scanner to record your vote from the marked paper ballot. At the end of the voting day, the device automatically tallies the votes and prints out the final results for poll workers," said the Assemblywoman. "It's a new era for voting in New York City and everyone should exercise their right to vote when Election Day arrives this fall."

For additional information call Assemblywoman Markey's office at 718-651-3185 or go to www.votethenewwayny.com.