Reply #42: IL: Last call for voters (McDonough County) [View All]

3/19/2006
By AARON HINTZ

Eagle Staff Writer

McDonough County Clerk Florine Miller and her staff at the courthouse have been gearing up for Tuesday’s 2006 primary election in preparation for the real deal in November.

They have been testing each of the 28 new TSX Diebold touch-screen voting machines for accuracy and educating voting judges on election day protocol compared with the AccuVote scanning machines used in the recent past. Each McDonough County polling place will have one of these new machines, and if they are popular Miller will consider going after more federal grant money for additional machines.

The touch screens have accessories for the visually impaired. A number pad similar to an ATM can be connected along with a set of earphones that directs the voter through pushing the correct number for each candidate.

Other changes include an additional polling place for students besides Wesley United Methodist Church. Students can now go to the Lamoine Room in the University Union and cast a ballot between classes. In the future, Miller said, Western Hall will be the permanent location.

While the McDonough County primaries are fairly tame, there are some real races: one the state and one on the federal level.

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