PAPER BALLOTS:
Okaloosa County voters use the Accu-Vote optical scan precinct tabulator to vote. Voting is as simple as filling in the oval next to your choice in each race and sliding your ballot into the tabulator. For both early voting (designated sites) and precinct voting (at your assigned polling place), it's as easy as 1-2-3:
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You will be given a ballot in a secrecy sleeve. Once in the voting booth, remove it from the sleeve and follow the instructions printed near the top of the ballot.
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Mark your ballot by filling in the oval next to your choice in each race. Be sure to use the marking pen provided and don't make any stray marks on your ballot. Vote for no more than the number indicated in each race. Should you make a mistake, you may ask for a new ballot and repeat steps 1 and 2.
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Put your ballot back in the secrecy sleeve and go to the ballot box. Remove your ballot from the sleeve and slide it in into the Accu-Vote tabulator. The machine will "take" your ballot and pull it inside where it is scanned and tabulated. Don't forget to get your "I Voted" sticker and wear it proudly!
ELECTRONIC BALLOTS:
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires all jurisdictions to have one touch screen machine in each precinct, so all voters with disabilities may vote in secret and without assistance.
New Florida law allows touch screens to be used only for those with disabilities, one per voting site, effective July 1, 2008. Therefore, the January 29, 2008, presidential primary will be the last time they will be used for early voting.
The touch screen machines are Diebold TSX with an audio component and certified for use in the state of Florida (since March 2005) and various other states around the country. In fact, the machines have been successfully used all over the country in a number of elections.
The Supervisor of Elections office staff has been working tirelessly to ensure proper security procedures and policies have been established and followed. The voters of Okaloosa County can be confident in the continued accuracy and integrity of the elections process.
Click here for our voter education flyer on the touch screen machines.
We are not changing the overall method for voting in Okaloosa County. If you vote in your precinct on Election Day you will vote a paper ballot unless you want to utilize the one touch screen machine in your precinct.