CHARLOTTE, N.C. - New voting machines are coming to Charlotte for the 2020 election, but not without some controversy.
- Election officials say the change will speed up the ballot process
- The upgrades will cost taxpayers $10 million
- With the new machines, voters will select candidates via touch screen, then take a printed ballot to a tabulator to be counted
Mecklenburg County commissioners held a meeting Tuesday night to vote on whether to negotiate with the voting machine company. The commission voted yes with only one no vote.
With the new machines, voters will select candidates via touch screen, then take a printed ballot to a tabulator to be counted. It’s that small window between the two actions that has some people concerned when it comes to voting safety.
"I worry about people who come and talk about the ability for any machine or any human being that will take care of voting. Humans make mistakes," district two county commissioner Vilma D. Leake said.
"The touch screen machines violate the basic concept of don’t put a computer between the voter and the ballot," Marilyn Marks with the Coalition for Good Governance said.
Michael Dickerson with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections says this change will help speed up the ballot process come voting day. The upgrades will cost taxpayers about $10 million.
