ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s the countdown until polls open for the general election on Tuesday. News10NBC is live on Tuesday morning with a preview of key local races across the region. You can livestream our show through 7 a.m. here.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. This year, all eyes are on the race for New York State Supreme Court, Monroe County Family Court, and many town and city-level races across the six-county region.
This marks the first general election in Monroe County with new voting machines. Among their upgrades is accessibility for voters with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs or those who are deaf.
“There are more machines. So even if there is a voter on a single machine that’s taking a little bit longer, there’s more machines for everyone else, to take advantage of. So we don’t anticipate there being any lines or any issues with regards to that,” said Peter Elder, Monroe County Election Commissioner.
When checking in, voters will get a blank white card with a barcode on the top indicating their voting district. The card goes into the machine and voters choose their preferred language and make their selections. Voters can still write-in candidates and if a mistake is made or a change is needed, voters can return to the screen to do so before finalizing the ballot. There will be plenty of people to help out if needed.
Board of Elections officials say the new machines should save time for everyone. The average time it takes to vote on these electronic machines is 90 seconds.
The county ordered 1,000 of the new electronic voting machines at about $12,000 each, totaling $12 million, all from the capital improvement plan. The new machines will save the county about a quarter of a million dollars each election year by not having to print off paper ballots.
The Board of Elections isn’t worried about any interference, as these new machines cannot be connected to the internet, WiFi or Bluetooth per New York State election rules. If you run into any problems casting your ballot, there is an election protection hotline at 866-390-2992.
Make sure to watch News10NBC starting at 11 p.m. on Tuesday for the latest on race results.
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