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[Oswego County Homepage] [Elections Homepage]
How to Use a Voting Machine
Download Instructions (PDF)
1. The Ballot:
As the sample below shows, a ballot is just a simple chart. The first row indicates the
offices that are up for election. The first column indicates the political parties.
Candidates' names appear in the boxes that corresponds to their party affiliation and the
office they are running for. In this example, John Smith is running for State Senator as a
Democrat. Jane Jones is his Republican opponent.
| Offices |
Governor |
State Senate |
State Assembly |
County Legislator |
| Republican |
Candidate |
Jane Jones |
Candidate |
Candidate |
| Democrat |
Candidate |
John Smith |
Candidate |
Candidate |
2. The Voting Booth
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Voting booths may look like complicated machines, but they are actually
very easy to use. Here are the four easy steps to using a voting booth: |
Step 1: Sign In
When you arrive at your polling place, sign in at the front table.
Step 2: Enter the Booth
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Enter the booth and pull the large handle from the left side of the booth all the way
to the right side. This will close the curtain behind you. On some machines, the handle
may be located below the ballot. On others, it may be located above the ballot. |
Step 3: Vote
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Vote by pulling down on the lever above your candidate's name on the ballot, or by
using a write-in ballot. |
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Using the ballot levers: If you vote by lever, be sure to pull
the lever all the way down so it covers your candidate's name. An "X" will
appear above the candidate's name. If you change your mind, you may lift the lever and
choose another candidate. After you are done voting, leave the levers of your final
choices down. If you lift them back up before you leave the booth, your votes won't be
counted. |
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Using write-in ballots: For those who wish to vote for a
candidate who doesn't appear on the ballot, there are write-in slips located above the
ballot. Open the door covering the slip, print the name of your candidate legibly, and
close the cover. |
Step 4: Exit the Booth
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Pull the red lever from the right all the way over to the left. This will open the
curtain and register your votes in the machine. All the levers you pulled will return to
their upright position. Exit the booth. |
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