Vermilion County voters living outside Danville will be casting their ballots on new voting machines in the March 17th General Primary Election. County Clerk Cathy Jenkins says she is extremely excited about it. Jenkins says that when she first took office she recognized the need for updated voting equipment.
‘’Over the past few years, our office has looked at ways to cut costs and we have applied for additional grant funds to help cover the cost of new machines,’’ said Jenkins adding she is proud to say the new equipment has been purchased without any additional burden to the current budget.
Part of the new system will utilize touch screen technology to produce a paper ballot for tabulation. ‘’We used touch screens before but the voter wasn’t able to physically touch their ballot, and a lot of voters voiced concern,’’ said Jenkins. ‘’We want the voters to know that we listened, and now a voter can not only see their ballot, but they can physically touch it and put it into the tabulator,’’ added the Vermilion County Clerk (Cathy Jenkins).
Jenkins added the system will not only replace the old touch screens, but the tabulators are also being replaced. ‘’The new system is significantly more efficient for our workers,’’ added Jenkins.
The County Clerk noted the upgrade will also make voting easier for voters with disabilities. Vermilion County voters who, due to disabilities are unable to appear in person to register to vote may contact Jenny Marsh, Voter Registration Manager at 217-554-1915 for assistance. ‘’The office can arrange for in-home registration services. And registration forms are also available by mail or may be printed from the County Clerk’s website at www.vercounty.org. Paperless online voter registration is also available on the same website under ‘County Clerk, Voter Information.’
