Nicole L. DiRado, Administrator, Union County Board of Elections
908-527-4121
Elizabeth, New Jersey – The Union County Board of Elections announces that the new ExpressVote XL Voting Machines will be implemented in the following towns for the 2019 Primary Election: Berkeley Heights, Elizabeth, Fanwood, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside, Union and Winfield.
Clark, Cranford, Hillside, Linden, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield and Summit will be implemented in the 2019 General Election. Westfield will continue to use the new voting machines, following the successful pilot program in the 2018 General Election.
In October 2018, the County of Union awarded a contract to Election Systems & Software, LLC (ES&S) of Omaha, Nebraska to provide a new voting tabulation system for the County. The new voting machine, ExpressVote XL, marries a touch screen ballot marking device with a voter verified paper audit trail, allowing the voter to review their voting choices to ensure their vote is accurately recorded. The voter verified audit trail also provides a paper record of the election which can be used for recounts and will be used for audits. The initial award was for $1.9 million, and the total award will be $4.8 million, which includes new voting machines for the entire county, vote by mail / audit trail tabulators, software, hardware and software maintenance and training.
During the 2018 General Election, the Election Board piloted the ExpressVote XL in Westfield. The reception from the voters was very positive, citing the simplicity of the touch screen, and the satisfaction of seeing their vote recorded on paper.
“For the first time in twenty years, the County has taken steps to make a significant investment in its election infrastructure. I am certain the voters of Union County will embrace the change and appreciate the ease of the touch screen as well as the benefit of knowing their vote is properly recorded, provided by the voter verified paper audit trail,” explained Nicole DiRado, Administrator at the Union County Board of Elections.
The Election Board will be embarking on an aggressive outreach campaign to train voters and poll workers on the new machine prior to Election Day. The Election Board will be conducting weekly demonstrations starting immediately through the weekend prior to the General Election at the following locations, excluding holiday closures:
Colleen Fraser Building
300 North Avenue East, Westfield
Saturdays 9:00am – 1:00pm
Union County Courthouse
2 Broad Street, 1st Floor, Elizabeth
Tuesdays, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Please contact the Union County Election Board to schedule a demonstration for your community group by calling 908-527-4123 or emailing ndirado@ucnj.org