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Politics & Government

Scantron Ballots Yield Some Complaints

Poll inspectors say elderly voters are confused by scantron ballots, never having used scantrons in school like younger generations.

At the polling place at on Tuesday morning, election inspectors agreed that the chief complaint they are receiving is over a relatively new method of voting, scantron bubble sheets.

Instead of flicking tabs to cast votes then pulling a lever, starting with the November 2010 election Long Island voters have had to fill in bubbles on a sheet of paper, which is then read by a machine.

"People don't like the change," said Ellen Demaria, a third-year election inspector from Riverhead. She said it is mostly elderly voters that have issues with the bubble sheets. "Generationally, they didn't grow up with scantrons."

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Younger voters will be familiar with scantrons, having used them for test taking at school.

Inspector Marilyn Daly said a magnifying device is available to make it easier to read the ballots. It is a clear plastic sheet of paper that blows up the words on the ballot. If one is not at the voting booth already, it can be requested from election inspectors.

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Several inspectors said bolder lines between columns on the ballot would make it easier for voters.

Polls close at 9 p.m.

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