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E-Scans Come to Western Kentucky

By Carrie Pond

Murray, KY – Next month, voters in eight area counties will cast their ballots on a new digital scan voting system. The State Board of Elections has provided 34 Kentucky counties each with approximately 45 hundred dollars to help purchase the Escan systems. The new machines capture selections on printed ballots and produce a single set of election reports. The system is expected to reduce the time needed to tabulate unofficial vote totals. Secretary of State spokesperson Les Fugate says some counties asked for the new devices amid voter concerns about problems that occurred in Florida during the 2000 presidential election, although there have never been any major issues with the old machines in Kentucky. We don't want to have a system that doesn't necessarily inspire confidence, and Secretary Grayson has encouraged counties to get machines that have voter verified paper record. Voters, however, can still choose whether or not to use the new system.

Precincts in Ballard, Carlisle, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Muhlenberg, Todd, and Trigg counties will use the eScans in next month's general election.