EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – Voters throughout all 25 municipalities in Middlesex County will soon be casting votes with a new voting system, ES&S ExpressVote XL Voting System, beginning with the special school elections on March 10 in Edison and Woodbridge. Following the March 10 elections in the two municipalities, the machines will be used in the April 21 school election in New Brunswick, before being rolled out county-wide in the primary election.

This new system, which produces an independent voter-verifiable paper record, replaces aging voting machines that lacked a paper record. It displays the ballot on a 32-inch touch screen and improves the inputting and counting of write-in candidates. The ExpressVote XL also improves the Election Day experience for voters whose native language is not English. The system provides voters with the option of reading the ballot in English, Spanish, and Gujarati and offers full interpretative statements in each of those languages. For more information about the new voting machines and to view a how-to video, please visit the Middlesex County website.

“Our new system allows voters even greater access to the ballot,” said Thomas Lynch, Administrator for Middlesex County Board of Elections. “This system is secure, accurate, accessible, transparent, and easy for poll workers and voters to use. We will now be able to audit paper ballots to verify results. This will go a long way in providing voters and election officials the assurance that every vote is counted accurately.”

“We are grateful that the Board of Elections and the County has committed to improving the voting experience for our residents,” said Cheryl Russomanno, Edison Township municipal clerk. “Not only are these machines easier for our residents to use and more accessible for those whom English is not a native language, but the machines are safe and secure. This is a welcome step forward for Edison's voters.”

“Woodbridge Township is honored to have been selected as one of the first municipalities by the Middlesex County Freeholder Board and Board of Elections to use the new voting machines,” said John M. Mitch, Woodbridge Township municipal clerk. “We are confident that the 32” touch screen ballot, along with an opportunity to view a receipt confirming one’s choices before casting a vote, will be a welcomed change for our more than 60,000 registered voters.”

Along with Middlesex County, Union, Gloucester, and Warren Counties have adopted the ExpressVote XL voting system.

PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS

Two public demonstrations to educate voters on the machines and how to use them will take place this month in Edison and Woodbridge. Additional demonstrations will be held across the county at future dates. A how-to video can also be viewed on the Middlesex County website. The demonstrations currently scheduled include:

Edison
February 24, 1 to 8 pm
Edison Town Hall,
100 Municipal Blvd., Edison

Woodbridge
February 25, 1 to 8 pm
Woodbridge Town Hall
1 Main Street, Woodbridge