Voters face new sign-in device

While a squiggle might cut it for a signature on the digital pad at the grocery store, it won’t suffice when it comes time to vote in the upcoming primary.

That’s because poll workers will be able to compare your signature with the one on the voting rolls, and if you didn’t use a squiggle there, it won’t match come Election Day.

Not quite two-dozen people turned out for an open house to view the new voting machines on Wednesday night, Clerk-Treasurer Kathy Lewis said.

However, a steady stream of election workers went through training on Wednesday and Thursday, she said.

“The response has been very positive,” Lewis said.

The big computer pads voters will use to cast their ballots for the first time this primary are fairly similar to the old voting machines.

The interface is slightly different, but voters will still receive a card to put in the machine, and will still see a print out of their vote.

Using the old system, poll workers would look voters’ names up in a book and the person would sign the book before they got the card.

Now they’ll sign on something similar to the device grocery stores use for credit card purchases.

But where the grocery store pad doesn’t know what a signature looks like, poll workers will be able to call up voters’ information and compare the signature.

The advantage to the new system is that every election worker at every polling station will have access to the database, so for example Gardnerville Ranchos residents who commute to Carson or Reno will be able to cast their ballots in Gardnerville or even Indian Hills on their way to or from work.

In order to bring that change about, some traditional polling places, such as Fish Springs, Sheridan Acres and Ruhenstroth have been eliminated.

While early voting will take place in Minden, it may be the first time since the town’s founding that there won’t be a polling place in the county seat on Election Day.

“We had around 300 voters for the 2016 Primary at CVIC hall,” Lewis said.

Those voters will, however, be able to go to any of the other polling places on June 12.

For more information, visit http://www.govotedouglas.com