A coalition of good-government groups just released tips for the state�s new voting system of paper ballots and scanners, which is in use statewide for the first time this year.

1- Don�t try to cross out or erase any mistakes you might make on your paper ballot, request a new ballot instead;
2- All poll sites will also have ballot marking devices � terminals that can help guide voters needing assistance, or voters in general, through the ballot and offer numerous accessibility features, including audio for voters who are blind, hand-held controls or a �sip and puff� switch for voters with physical disabilities, and larger print size and contrast for voters with low vision.
3- When the poll worker gives you your paper ballot, don�t forget to ask for your privacy sleeve/folder to help hide your choices from public view; and
4- If you insert your ballot into a scanner and get an error message, beware of pressing the green �Cast� button. It will cast your vote without giving you the chance to have your ballot returned to correct.

The state Board of Elections has a website with information about the new voting system and videos of how to use it. The state Comptroller�s Office, which did reports on problems with the new system during the primary in September, has set up a toll-free hotline for Election Day: 888-672-4555.

Neal Rosenstein of the New York Public Interest Research Group said voters should not give up if their names aren�t on the voter rolls at the polling site.��First, make sure you�re at the right poll site for your election and Assembly district. If that doesn�t solve the issue, ask for an affidavit ballot.

This will allow you to cast a vote. Your registration will be checked later, and if you are registered, your vote will count,� he said in a statement.

If a scanner breaks down, voters should ask to use a different scanner at the poll site, said Katie Doran of the League of Women Voters. �If all the scanners break down, you can still cast your vote as long as there are paper ballots and a voter registration book at the poll site. Just mark your paper ballot and give it to a poll worker for safekeeping until scanners are up and running again. The ballots will be placed in a secure receptacle that is part of the scanner and scanned in when the equipment is working again,� she said.

Voters should make sure they don�t �over vote� by casting more votes for a certain race than are needed, said Larry Norden, senior counsel at the Brennan Center.��If you do overvote, the scanner will alert you but don�t be confused by its unclear messaging. Press the red button to get your ballot back. Get an entirely new ballot so your vote counts in every race,� he said.

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(Source: LoHud)