Ask the election judges for assistance if you need help with reading or marking a ballot, to obtain a magnifying device or a chair to use in the voting booth, to vote from your vehicle or to use an AutoMARK voter assist terminal.

The AutoMark

• All voters cast votes using the exact same optical scan paper ballot
• Works in conjunction with our current optical scan voting tabulators
• The AutoMark assists voters that have difficulty marking a ballot (visual impairments, difficulties holding or using a pen)
• Voter inserts ballot into AutoMark and sees an electronic version of the ballot on a screen
• Screen has reverse contrast capabilities; enlargement for easier reading or can be turned off completely for privacy if voter chooses to access the ballot using earphones and keypad
• Audio description of the ballot reads the entire ballot to voter and the voter makes selections by using the touch screen, the keypad or alternative adaptive method
• Available for any voter to use. A voter does not need to prove disability to election judges

The AutoMARK will be available in every Maple Grove precinct for voters for the Primary Election and the General Election. And yes! Our election judges will be able to provide you assistance with using the ballot marking device or with any of your election needs.

Frequently Asked Questions about  the AutoMARK

What is it?  The AutoMARK is a “tool” – an “electronic pen” to assist the voter in marking the ballot. This voter assist terminal was designed to provide voters with disabilities the opportunity to vote independently and privately.

How does it work? The AutoMARK has special features to assist voters with disabilities that make it difficult to mark an optical scan ballot. Voters using the ballot marking device will be able to record their choices using a touch screen, touch pad or a sip/puff tube. When the voter inserts the ballot into the AutoMARK, an electronic version of the ballot appears on the screen. The screen that appears provides options for enlargement for easier reading or for being turned off for privacy. The voter may then choose to access the ballot by using earphones and the keypad.

If the AutoMARK is a ballot marking device or “electronic pen” how are the votes tabulated once a voter is done marking?  Once your selections are made, the AutoMARK prints the voter’s choices on the ballot and the ballot is returned to the voter to be cast in the regular fashion. The ballot marking device does not tally or store votes; instead it simply marks the ballot. In Maple Grove, as well as all of Hennepin County, all ballots, whether completed by hand or by the new marking system are inserted into the optical scan ballot counter that has been used in the county since 2000.

Will there be help in using the AutoMARK on election day in my polling place?   The AutoMARK will be available in every Maple Grove precinct for voters with disabilities for the Primary Election and the General Election. And yes! Our election judges will be able to provide you assistance with using the ballot marking device or with any of your election needs.  

M100 - Tabulator

The ES&S Model 100 is a precinct-based, voter-activated paper ballot counter and vote tabulator. Utilizing advanced Intelligent Mark Recognition (IMR) visible light scanning technology, the Model 100 is a proven mainstay for jurisdictions worldwide utilizing precinct-level voting and tabulation.

Features of the Model 100 include:

• Ensuring Ballot Integrity — because the Model 100 alerts voters to over-voted races and under-voted ballots, it greatly enhances the ability to capture voter intent.
• Security and Reliability — a rugged stainless steel chassis, independent ballot containers, and other unique features make the Model 100 one of the most secure and reliable in the industry.
• State-of-the-Art Flexibility — driven by an Intel processor, the Model 100 utilizes QNX. Operating software which provides real-time resource management, true multi-tasking capabilities, and unparalleled election accuracy.
  Fast Election Reporting — immediately upon poll closing, the Model 100's internal thermal printer legibly prints out vote totals, and enables election officials to transmit results to election central.
• Tested, Certified, Proven — the Model 100 has been fully tested by an independent testing authority, certified to meet or exceed the rigorous standards of the federal government, and proven through the use in thousands of actual elections worldwide