ROCHESTER, N.Y. — School budget votes are coming up in some counties, followed by the June primary.

This year, Monroe County is rolling out new voting machines, the ExpressVote XL, and some other counties may follow suit.

What You Need To Know

  • Monroe County is rolling out new voting machines 

  • Other counties may follow suit

  • School budget vote is May 20

The new voting machines will look entirely different than what you’re used to, unless you voted in 2007 or prior, because what will be familiar is the privacy curtain.

“We are launching, for the very first time, the Express XL Touchscreen voting technology," said Democratic Monroe County Board of Elections Commissioner Jackie Ortiz. "So, this year, when you walk into a poll site, your check-in process will be very similar. But the actual voting, in regard to casting your ballot, will look a lot different."

You’ll enter the booth with a blank ballot and insert it into the machine.

“The technology is not much more difficult. In fact, it's very similar to your cellphone,” said Republican Monroe County Board of Elections Commissioner Peter Elders. “It does produce a paper verifiable ballot as per New York state regulations. So, we'd still have a physical ballot that's going to come out. It has multiple ways of verifying the data for the election results.”

Both commissioners say Monroe County could be paving the way for the rest of the state with this technology.

“I do believe Monroe County will be the first to actually utilize it full on in an election,” said Ortiz.

“Other counties are looking at investing in this technology. I think there was a lot of reluctance to be the first in. But since Monroe County is the first and they're looking for us as the example and our vendor, ES&E – Election Systems and Software, is actually helping us a great deal because they know that other jurisdictions might want to buy in as well,” said Elders.

There are step-by-step instructions. Once your ballot is in the machine, a screen appears showing your full voting ballot. You make your selections and hit the print button.

“It's going to say print the ballot and there's a paper verifiable ballot. And the voter is asked to check and make sure all the selections on the paper are the same as the selections on the screen,” explained Elders.

If there is a mistake the machine prompts you to correct it. Then you hit the cast button.

“And now the ballot is cast," Elders demonstrated. "So, the paper ballot is now in a secure ballot at the back of the machine. And those are the ballots we use to do recounts and audits.”

There is also advanced technology to assist people with disability and accessibility issues.

“So, it really is an all-in-one opportunity for everyone to be able to quickly and easily cast their ballots,” said Ortiz.

The commissioners say they are not expecting the machines to cause delays at the polls.

The ExpressVote XL was the subject of a lawsuit after some groups argued voters could not independently and privately verify their votes, a requirement under state law. The suit was later dismissed because the court found petitioners could not show they would be harmed by the state’s approval of the machines. 

New York election officials have said the ExpressVote XL does allow voters to review their selections and verify that their votes were recorded accurately before submitting their ballots.