Welcome to the Will County
Clerk's Voting System Web Site.
Introducing
the new ES&S Optical Scan Voting System - An Easy, Accurate, and
Secure Way to Vote! Just "Darken the Oval".
There has been a change in the way you cast your
ballot in Will County. The Clerk's office
introduced the new ES&S Unity In-Precinct Optical Scan
Voting System for the General Primary
Election on March 16, 2004. Voots
says, "This new system meets the many new legislative requirements
of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), such as providing voters an
opportunity to check for and correct ballot errors (over
votes)".
"Click
Here" to learn more about the Unity Election System.
Use these links to jump down the
page of topics and frequently asked questions.
2. Enter the Voting Booth and Mark Your Ballot
Enter the next available voting booth. To vote the optical scan
ballot, completely darken the
oval to the left of the candidate or
public question of your choice with the marker provided. Be sure to mark both sides of your
ballot.
Instructions
for voting for a Write-In Candidate
If you make a mistake marking your ballot, return it to the election
judge to receive a new ballot. After voting your ballot, place it in
the privacy sleeve provided. Exit the voting booth and take ballot
within the privacy sleeve to the optical scan ballot counter.
For voters with disabilities and other special needs
"Click
Here" and then click on the demo of the
ES&S AutoMARK™ballot-marking
system.
LEGAL NOTICE - Voting Aides for Will County Elderly & Handicapped
Voters
3. Vote!
Insert your ballot into the ballot counter. The ballot is read by the optical scanner and dropped into
the metal ballot bin.
The new Optical Scan
System complies with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to provide
voters an opportunity to check and correct ballot errors (for
example, casting more votes for an office than allowed results in an
overvote). If an error is detected, the system will gently beep and
give you the option to accept the ballot as is (the
overvoted office
will not count) or you may return the ballot to an election judge
and receive another one.
When
the polls close, the tabulator prints the results of all votes cast.
"Click
Here" to Learn More about the Precinct Ballot Scan Election
Process.
Its' that Easy!
Just Darken the Oval!
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Why does
Will County need new Election and Voter Registration Systems?
Punch card voting has served Will County well for over 30 years.
Discovery recounts have proven punch card voting is extremely
accurate and efficient and voters feel comfortable and confident in
the system. However, election law has changed in the United States,
Illinois, and Will County, and the Clerk’s Office has to meet the
many new challenges required by the new legislation (i.e.
HAVA,
SB428, Recent ACLU Lawsuit). On Thursday, August 21, 2003, Governor
Blagojevich signed Senate Bill 428, a comprehensive election reform
bill. The enactment of
SB428, now Public Act 93-574, provides language to help implement
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), signed by President Bush.
Public Act 93-574 establishes a state fund to distribute federal
monies to be used for punch card buyout, provides voters an
opportunity to check for and correct ballot errors (over votes) in a
private and independent manner; allows for provisional voting,
authorizes the use of new Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting
systems, provides for greater voter education, and a computerized
statewide voter registration system, all of which need to be in
place by January 1st, 2006.
The County Clerk’s
office has reviewed the requirements of this new legislation;
studied available options, developed detailed system requirements,
and submitted a Request for Proposal written for potential vendors
to meet the needs of Will County. The Clerk’s Office has recommended
that the County Board consider and approve the Clerk’s Office
request for funds for new Election and Voter Registration Systems
for Will County to remain compliant with this new legislation.
The Clerk’s Office has also recommended
installation of the new Voting System prior to the 2004 Primary
election for the following reasons:
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Why
was the Optical Scan Voting System selected?
After careful consideration and study of
qualified vendor proposals, the County Clerk’s Office chose the
ES&S Optical Scan System/Single Touch Screen Ballot Marking
Technology Combination (OS/TS)
for the following reasons:
1.
Low Cost Alternative - requires only one precinct
tabulator and one touch screen ballot marking device per precinct vs. average of 5 touch
screen (DRE's) per precinct, while still meeting all known legislative
requirements (i.e. ADA, check for under and over votes)
2.
Less Storage/Maintenance – Requires less storage
space than an all touch screen (DRE) solution (still requires some
climate-controlled storage and storage of larger ballot boxes than
today)
3.
Provides Ballot Paper Trail - important for public
trust (supports electronic or manual recounts), security, and legislative requirements
4.
Proven Technology - used successfully by many other
counties and will improve timeliness of transmitting election
results once fully implemented.
5.
Provides the simplicity of a single “Optical Scan
Ballot” based system - important for training election judges
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OFFICE
OF THE WILL COUNTY CLERK | 302 North Chicago Street | Joliet, IL
60432
815-740-4615 | FAX 815-740-4699
Page Last Updated:
12/13/2007
Will County Clerk
