Voting Systems

Marking Your Ballot

How to Mark Your Paper Ballot

To mark your ballot correctly, fill in the oval next to your choice with a:

• #2 pencil
• Blue pen
• Black pen

You must completely fill in the oval. Any other mark may not be read by the Accu-vote.

FS 101.5611

What If I Make A Mistake on My Paper Ballot

Prior to the casting of his or her ballot:

• Each voter is allowed up to two (2) replacement ballots for a total of three (3) ballots

Vote by Mail voting

If you are voting by mail and you make a mistake on your ballot, do not erase or use white out:

• Call the Elections office at (352) 754-4125 for a replacement ballot or alternate instructions

Early voting

If you are voting during early voting and you make a mistake on your ballot:

• Ask a member of the Elections staff for a replacement ballot

Polling place voting

If you are voting at your polling place and you make a mistake on your ballot:

• Ask the Precinct Coordinator (Clerk) for a replacement ballot

 FS 101.5608(2)(b) 

How to Mark Your Touch Screen Ballot

To mark your touch screen ballot, you will follow the instructions on the screen. If you are using the audio feature, you will follow the oral instructions to mark your ballot. If you have any questions about touch screen voting, please call the Elections office at (352) 754-4125.

Hernando County's Voting Systems

Accu-vote 2000 - An Overview

Hernando County uses an optical scan voting system called an Accu-vote. This voting system uses paper ballots. At the polling place a poll worker issues a paper ballot to the voter and directs the voter to a private voting booth. The voter marks the ballot with the marking pen provided in the booth, proceeds to the ballot box and inserts the voted ballot into the Accu-vote.

FS 101.56075

More In-Depth Information about the Accu-Vote 2000

Hernando County uses the Accu-Vote 2000 as its method of balloting. Accu-Vote is a state certified optical scan voting system manufactured by Diebold. This system streamlines the voting process, while providing a simple, fast and secure method of conducting an election.

Of paramount importance is the fact that the Accu-Vote system is voter friendly. The Accu-Vote 2000 provides the voter an easy method of casting his ballot. At the polls the voter receives paper ballot in a secrecy folder. Using a felt tip marker provided at the voting booth, the voter records his vote by filling in the oval next to his choices.

The Accu-Vote system also addresses the needs for security, accuracy and integrity throughout the voting process.

Security: After voting, the voter takes his ballot, in the secrecy folder, to the Accu-Vote tabulator and inserts it into a slot on top of the machine. The scanning device reads the votes cast and deposits the voted ballot into a locked and sealed ballot box. This eliminates ballot handling and provides total ballot security.

When the polls close, votes are tallied at each precinct, printed for posting at the precinct and transmitted by modem to the Hernando County Supervisor of Elections office. All precinct totals are received by the Election Center and integrated into a jurisdiction wide report showing the total of votes cast at all precincts.

Accuracy and Integrity: The Accu-Vote 2000 has undergone rigorous testing to pass state certification requirements. Using the most advanced technology in the election industry, the Accu-Vote system provides not only an easy to mark ballot,  but also insures that your vote is counted. Using paper ballots the system collects permanent, physical records of voter choices. This verifiable audit trail and audit log accounts for every activity performed during the election process.

Election Results: Not only are ballots counted at the precinct, but results are available within minutes at each precinct and are transmitted to the Election Center for accumulation of the votes. The general public will not only be able to access the results by traditional media report and calls to the Elections office, but also by logging on to our website.

The Accu-Vote system also provides the advanced features necessary to conduct elections with ease and confidence. For the Supervisor of Elections, the Accu-Vote system streamlines each stage of an election while providing comprehensive security measures. The system helps provide a secure election environment through a combination of passwords, security levels and physical locks.

For precinct workers, the Accu-Vote is compact and lightweight so that is can be easily transported to and from the polling place. Poll workers are trained on the setup, election day use and ending of the election.

System Components

The Accu-Vote Tabulator: The tabulator is a multi-functional unit that is the heart of the voting system. It counts and tabulates the ballots at precincts on Election Day and communicates with the host computer at the Elections office by transmitting results via modem for accurate and timely jurisdiction-wide results.

The Host Computer (Vote Tally System): The host computer is a PC-based computer system configured to perform all of the necessary functions of the application software, from the beginning of the election process, to the posting of final jurisdiction-wide results.

Visible Light Reader: The Accu-Vote tabulator utilizes visible light reader technology that permits the voter to shade in the oval next to the candidate of choice with a standard pen or pencil. This is especially advantageous in the absentee-voting environment.

Internal Battery Backup: The Accu-Vote tabulator employs a battery backup feature that acts as an uninterruptible power supply. The battery is automatically and continuously charged. It engages during a power failure to permit the voting process to continue. It also provides enough power to print the zero tape at the opening of the polls and ready the Accu-Vote system to begin accepting ballots, continue counting ballots, or even print and transmit results at the closing of the polls.

Ballot Size, Flexibility: The Accu-Vote ballot is 8.5" wide and can be 11", 14" or 18" long depending upon the number of races, candidates and issues on the ballot. Ballot layout is freeform and flexible and can be formatted in one, two, three or four columns, front and back. The standard 8.5" width also makes printing less complicated. Since either the 8.5" x 11" size or the 8.5" x 14" size ballots accommodates most elections, standard size boxes and shelves can be used for transport and storage.

TeleResults: The Accu-Vote system pioneered modem transmission of precinct results directly from the polling place to the host computer for jurisdiction-wide results using standard landlines.

TSX Touch Screen Voting System - An Overview

In accordance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the Elections office now offers touch screen voting. Touch screen voting allows persons who are blind or visually impaired to vote independently by accessing the systems audio feature. A touch screen voting system will be available at each early voting site and polling location.

FS 101.56062

Effective July 1, 2008 only voters with disabilities may use the touch screen voting machine to cast their ballot as per Florida Law.

FS 101.56075