WINFIELD, W.Va. — This is the first year Putnam County is using new touch screen voting machines.
Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood said the new machines will help save time for poll workers counting the ballots.
“It allows us to get our returns out at a lot faster pace rather than waiting on that central count until 3 in the morning processing ballots. We’re now hopefully going to be a lot earlier in the evening letting you know these are results for Putnam County,” he said.
The new machines called “Express Vote” will print out a ballots after voters finish using the touch-screen.
Wood said early voters have said they’re happy they still get to hold a paper ballot.
“We didn’t do away with the opportunity for that voter to have that paper in their hand where they can touch it, feel it, see it and verify it. It works out good for everybody,” he said.
Even students from all four of the county’s high schools enjoyed the new system. Wood said they came to vote early.
“These are a lot of first time voters who’ve never voted before and processed the ballots on the Express Vote with no problems at all, so we’re excited about that,” he said.
Wood reminds Putnam County voters to bring a form of identification to polls.
“Be prepared for Election Day. The new Voter ID law takes place for this Election,” he said.
Primary Election Day is Tuesday.