Voters invited to test new machines

Archive for Wednesday, June 7, 2006

June 7, 2006

So far, so good.

Linda Scheer, Leavenworth County clerk, says reaction to the county's new voting machines generally has been positive.

Last week, at a meeting of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, those attending had a chance to try out the machines, which will be used for the first time in the Aug. 1 primary election.

"There was no negative," Scheer said. "It's just something different. And everyone who tried it basically said, 'That was easy.' Or 'That was a piece of cake.' We got the same reaction when we were in Linwood a couple of weeks ago."

Scheer's office will take the machines on the road again this weekend -- this time, on Saturday to Tonganoxie for the annual Tonganoxie Days celebration.

A voting machine will be set up in front of The Mirror office, 520 E. Fourth.

Members of the public can try out the voting machines between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.

And then on Tuesday, the Tonganoxie Veterans of Foreign Wars post will sponsor a voting machine training session for members of the public. A machine will be available between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the local post, which is on East First Street, on the east side of the VFW Park. Refreshments will be served.

Larry Meadows of the VFW said members of the public are welcome to come anytime during the two-hour stretch.

"I just hope people do come out," Scheer said. "A lot of people may think: 'Oh, it's such a long time before we vote.'"

But, as Scheer well knows, the primary election is right around the corner. And it's likely the switch to voting machines will affect thousands of people.

"There are a lot of people on our voter registration rolls, unless they voted in another county and moved in, who have never used a touch-screen," Scheer said.