Public Employee Press

The new way to vote, easy as 1-2-3

New York State voters will cast their ballots Nov. 2 in a new and simple way: get a paper ballot, mark it and scan it. New York is the last state to implement computerized scanners that will record voters' choices in less than five seconds.

The new way to vote is as easy as 1-2-3:

1 Sign in at the polling place and get your paper ballot, which is printed in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

2 In privacy, completely fill in the ovals next to the candidates you choose.

3 Feed your ballot into the scanner. If you have done everything right, the screen will show an American
flag and say, "Your vote has been counted."

It's that simple. Magnifiers will be provided for people who cannot read the small print, and Interpreters and poll workers will be available on site to help.

DO NOT make an "X," circle or check mark for your choice. The scanner will reject these. Scanners will also reject ballots that are folded or creased.

New York voters used the new method for the first time in the Sept. 14 Primary.

The new way to vote is required by the Help America Vote Act, a federal law enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court decided the chaotic 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush.

For more information on voting, go to the New York City Board of Elections Web site at http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/ or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC (1-866-868-3692).

The DC 37 Political Action Committee urges all members who can volunteer to help get out the vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, to call 212-815-1550.