New Albany officials getting voting machines ready for upcoming primaries

New Albany Municipal Clerk Frankie Roberts and other election officials tested the voting machines Friday that will be used in the April 6 party primary elections about a week from now. Each machine is checked for accuracy and reliability as well as security before each use.

With Roberts, left, are city election commissioner Cheryl Brewer, Marian Bean, who is the technician with the voting machine company who compiles results, and election commissioner Mike Beam. Not present was commissioner Robin Lindsey.

The deadline to cast absentee ballots is noon next Saturday, April 3. Roberts will have City Hall open from 8 a.m. until noon today (March 27) and next Saturday, April 3, for the convenience of absentee voters.

This year, everyone will go to the community center on Wilson Street to vote April 6. Votes will be counted in the circuit courtroom in the courthouse as usual, however, because that is where the server is located that works with state election data.

In second photo an unidentified representative of the election software company the city is using delivers the computer and scanner Roberts will use in the election. The city is trying out software that allows printing absentee ballots on demand rather than having them commercially printed in bulk elsewhere.