Voting machines, also known as Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) systems or electronic voting systems, record and tabulate votes electronically.
Some jurisdictions use voting machines instead of paper ballots. Other jurisdictions may use voting machines to assist voters who require accessibility accommodations, including voters with disabilities.
Because there are no paper ballots, there is no ballot box or tabulator. Each vote is recorded directly on the voting machine.
On Election Day, the poll watcher may enter the Polling Place with the Election Judges one hour before the polls open.
The poll watcher will observe the Election Judges as they activate the voting machines and compare the ballot labels to the sample ballots.
After the Election Judges complete their review, the poll watcher will examine each voting machine. Without touching the voting machines or any election materials, the poll watcher will confirm that:
The ballot labels are correctly in place;
The public counter is set to zero;
No electioneering material is present in or on the voting machine; and