Indiana County Voting & Elections

Voting is an easy process. As long as you are registered, you will be able to vote on Election Day.  In this section, you will find all the information you need about how to vote.

• Know what to expect before arriving at your polling place.
• Practice using the voting system for your polling place with the voting system demos.

 

How to Vote

Indiana County uses the ES&S DS200 Optical Voting system and the ExpressVote. The DS200 is a precinct-based ballot scanner and vote tabulator. To ensure voter intent and ballot integrity, the DS200 has the ability to alert voters to overvoted races or blank ballots. The ExpressVote Universal Voting System uses touch-screen technology that produces a paper-based record for tabulation.

 

Indiana County Voting Machine Demos

Upon entering the polling place, you give your name to the poll worker. The poll worker will then have you sign the poll book. The poll worker will issue you a ballot and you will then proceed to the voting booth to mark your ballot. Once you vote, you insert your ballot into the DS200 scanner and your ballot will be immediately counted.

 

Over-voted Ballots

The DS200 precinct tabulator is coded to detect and notify the voter when it encounters an over-voted race or issue on the ballot. An over-vote is when more than the allowed number of selections in a race or issue has been marked. An audio alert will sound and the display will indicate that an over-voted race or issue was detected and offer the voter two choices, “Accept” or “Return”.

If the voter selects Accept, the ballot will be counted, all properly marked races and issues will receive the appropriate votes, and the over-voted races and issues will receive an over-vote. The individual candidates or issue choices in an over-voted race will not receive any votes.

If the voter selects Return, the ballot will be returned uncounted, and the voter may contact the election official and have the ballot spoiled and receive a new one.

 

Under Voting

Under voting should not be confused with overvoting.  A voter undervotes when he/she casts fewer votes for a particular office than he/she is permitted to cast.  No ballot or vote will be canceled as a result of an undervote.

ASK FOR HELP!  If you are confused as to whether you have overvoted or undervoted, please do not hesitate to ask for instructions from an election officer.

 

Voting on the ES & S ExpressVote

Indiana County also provides in each voting district the ES&S ExpressVote that allows voters with disabilities and other special needs to mark a ballot privately and independently when using an optical scan voting system.  The ES&S ExpressVote does not tally or store votes.

The ExpressVote voting machine is designed to accommodate hearing impaired, sight impaired, and those confined to a wheelchair, allowing their vote to be cast in complete privacy, without the need for assistance.  Certainly, assistance is always available for those who need it.  This machine even allows a quadriplegic person to vote by the use of “suck/puff tube”.

Once the handicapped person has voted, the DS200 produces a paper-based record for tabulation with the voter’s choices. The handicapped voter will then process the paper-based record as any other voter would. Again, assistance is still and will always be available for those who need it.