|
 |
Elections Office
Kathy E. Van Wolfe
County Records Building
214 North 4th Street, Suite 300
Waco, Texas 76701
P.O. Box 2450
Waco, Texas 76703
Phone: 254 757-5043
Fax: 254 757-5041
|
What is eSlate?
The eSlate™ is an electronic
voting system, also known as a Direct Record Electronic (DRE) voting system. The
eSlate is manufactured, marketed and supported by
Hart InterCivic
of Austin, Texas.
eSlate has won acclaim for
its ease of use, accessibility to disabled voters and fast, efficient ballot tabulation.
Its unique Rotary Optical Encode technology ensures voters can confidently and accurately
register their votes.
The eSlate is about
the size of a legal pad, about one inch thick, and weighs just 5.2 pounds. The voter
uses a rotary wheel to move through the ballot and select his or her vote.
Using the wheel, you, the voter, select a language –English or Spanish.
Next, you are asked to enter the four-digit code you will receive upon check-in
at the voting site. The code tells
the system which contests to present for your precinct; the code does NOT identify
you in any way and cannot be linked to your vote.
The ballot then appears
on the color screen, and you use the SELECT wheel
to move a blue highlight bar through the ballot. Once you move the highlight bar onto
your desired choice, simply press the
large button marked ENTER, and the selection is
marked. The box beside that choice
is marked in red and your selection becomes bold while all the other choices fade
into the background, so you have a strong visual signal of your vote.
If you make a mistake or change your mind, all you have to do is to change the selection
– the system won’t let you cast too many votes in a race.
After you have voted in
the last contest on the ballot, a BALLOT SUMMARY screen will appear listing all
the choices you have made and lets you know if you missed voting in any race. From this screen, you can make corrections, as needed, to be sure your votes are as you
want them to be. When you finish reviewing your ballot, press the
CAST BALLOT button to put your ballot into the electronic ballot box.
That’s all there is to it. Voters do
not have to know anything about computers.
The eSlate system is really more of an appliance – a state-of-the-art voting appliance
that is sure to serve McLennan County voters well for many years to come.
If you prefer a more personal touch, you may drop by the Election Administration
Office at 214 N. 4th Street, Suite 300, Waco, TX 76701 to take a “test
drive” of the system.
For more information or to schedule a demonstration for your organization, call
the Election
office at 254-757-5043 or visit our website at http://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/elections.
The Election Office is actively recruiting new poll workers. If you’re a registered voter and
are interested in contributing to our democracy
and earning a few dollars in the process, call us at the
number listed above.
eSlate is a trademark of Hart InterCivic, Inc.
|
|