Sunday Edition April 7, 2019 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER $1.50 Bartow to be one of fi rst counties to receive new voting machines BY JAMES SWIFT “We’re one of 12 that’s going to pilot it this
[email protected] November, so we’ll be getting ours probably August, September, somewhere in that time- On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp signed frame.” House Bill 316 into law, a sweeping piece of The law, initially proposed by State Rep. legislation that will replace Georgia’s voting Barry Fleming (R-Harlem), seeks to “provide system with new “paper-backed” equipment. for uniform election equipment in the State” While there are still some questions about and “to provide for ballot-marking devices and what the new system will resemble — and how standards and procedures for such devices.” much the cost of replacing the state’s older vot- Kirk said those ballot-marking devices are ing machines will ultimately run — one thing quite similar to the equipment Bartow County is for certain: when the new system does arrive, voters have been using for several years. The RANDY PARKER/DTN Bartow County will be among the fi rst in the only difference is that the new machines will Deborah Turner arranges fl ow- state to experience it. print voters’ selections onto “a ballot of record,” ers on her kitchen table in her RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS “We have been selected to be one of the fi rst which will then be electronically scanned. Poll worker Celia Johnson, left, watches as Constance Esposi- home near downtown Carters- to of Cartersville fi lls out her voter registration card at the Bea- counties to get the voting system,” Bartow ville.