Although it may not be election season, some are voting on crucial details that will affect experiences on November 7.

Kathy Mihm tested possible new machines at the Board of Elections’ open house. The BOE plans to replace its 15-year-old Dominion voting system in the upcoming months.

“Boy that prints very fast, OK,” said Mihm to Ulster County Commissioner Ashley Dittus, who watched Mihm test the machine. “This is good; this is very, very good.”

In the room is a group of poll workers, learning machines from the inside out for two purposes: to make a more informed decision when picking their new models and to reassure voters when it’s their chance to use them.

The final cost for the machines hasn’t been determined, since the BOE isn’t sure which model will be purchased for poll sites by the upcoming election season. Members will have a better idea once they vet each model.

“I’m confident in that they’re doing the research. It’s not my decision at the end of the day, but as a person that is interested in elections and how they work, I think it’s important for people to know they’re doing their due diligence, the board … and that’s what’s important to me,” said Mihm.

Ulster County’s decision will be made in the upcoming weeks after three open houses. Once ordered and in their office, poll workers will be trained on the devices in August, September and October.

In 2022, the Brennan Center for Justice reported New York was one of 24 states across the United States using machines older than 10 years. County leaders say using the latest election tech helps to stem, any election integrity skeptics. Voting machines became the subject of intense controversy during the 2020 presidential election after former president Donald Trump questioned the validity of the election, but had no proof to back up the claims. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has since called the 2020 election among the most secure in American history.

Dominion Voting Systems, the maker of some of Ulster County’s outgoing voting machines, filed multiple million-dollar lawsuits against those continuing to spread false claims about election security and its machines integrity. Dittus shared the ongoing lawsuit has no relation to their decision to replace their machines and that they’re moving to another manufacturer because the systems are just simply outdated.

“At the end of the day, if someone says ‘I question how many votes were cast,’ well, they open the door and there they are. They’re in a big, safe, secure … this is excellent for the voting public,” said Mihm.