Elections board changes voting machine rules

Eamon Queeney | The North State Journal
2017 Voting | Eamon Queeney | The North State Journal

RALEIGH — With time running out for North Carolina to certify new voting machines ahead of upcoming elections, the state elections board has voted to change rules that govern what equipment can be used.

WRAL reports Monday’s vote delayed the certification of new machines for a third time. The proposed changes are prompted by security concerns, and would require voting machines to produce “human-readable marks on a paper ballot” for tabulation.

Advertisements

About a third of North Carolina uses touch-screen voting machines that were set to be decertified by the end of the year, but this vote could delay that. The front-runner for the state’s new machines would be out of compliance, as they produce a barcode with voters’ choices.

The board meets in August to formalize the changes.