Early voting starts Monday across metro Atlanta

All of Georgia’s electronic voting machines are being replaced before the March 24 presidential primary. The new voting system uses touchscreens, printed-out paper ballots and ballot scanners. Step 1 Voters check in at their precincts with an iPad that scans their driver’s license or another form of photo ID. Then voters can use their finger to sign-in on the screen. Step 2 A 21.5-inch touchscreen displays candidates and referendums. Voters make their choices on the touchscreen, called a ballot marking device, which, includes accessibility options such as enlarged text and headphones. Step 3 Next to the touchscreen, an HP printer produces a paper ballot. The ballot includes a text listing of voters’ choices along with a bar code that can be read by an optical scanning machine. Voters can review their choices and request a new ballot if needed. Step 4 The ballot is inserted into the scanner for vote tabulation. Ballots are accepted whether they’re face-up or face-down, forward or backward. The scanning machine displays a message saying “ballot successfully cast,” and the ballot is stored in a locked box that can later be opened for recounts or audits. Mark Niesse Georgia Government Reporter The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 404-526-2848 Twitter: @markniesse