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First State's new voting machines pass first test

ES&S (Elections Systems & Software)

Officials are calling the trial run of the state’s new voting machines a success.

 

They were used for the first time in last week’s school board elections and Delaware Elections Commissioner Elaine Manlove says they worked perfectly.

 

“I’ll tell you, I was just overwhelmed at the response from the voters and the poll workers. I knew they would like it; I just didn’t think they would like it that much that fast. I thought there might be more of a getting used to it period but there wasn’t,” said Manlove.

 

Last week’s election saw a low turnout. None of the 11 school districts that had contested races were able to draw more than 2,300 voters.

 

Manlove says the state intended to test out the new machines in a smaller election.

“Of course we’ll have a lot more poll workers and a lot more polling places when we start into the primary and general election next year, but I think they’re ready," said Manlove. "We picked up things that maybe we need to focus more on in training, that kind of thing, but nothing major.”

 

New Castle County did post its election results to the web a little later than Kent and Sussex, but Manlove says that was a communication problem and had nothing to do with the machines.

 

Delaware spent $13 million last year on 1,500 new machines that cast a digital vote along with a paper printout for hand recounts. $3 million came in the form of federal funds meant to support election security.

 

Officials says Delaware’s new machines replaced some of the nation’s oldest.

Manlove says her agency is ready for 2020’s primary and general elections.

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