Transcript: How Maryland Votes

[Title: Maryland State Board of Elections. Music plays and a DS200 ballot scanner is featured in the middle of the screen. A voter inserts a ballot into the DS200’s ballot scanning tray. Once the ballot enters the tray, the scanning unit’s display screen reads Scanning Ballot - Please wait. Once the scanner is finished scanning the ballot the screen displays an image of an American flag with the words Thank you for voting. Your ballot has been counted.]

Narrator: Voting on the ballot scanner is as easy as one two three. Step one, mark your selections. A poll worker will issue you a paper ballot.

[A ballot is displayed with the words Step 1. Mark your selections. The scene transitions to a polling place. Two poll workers are seated at a table with stacks of ballots in front of them. In the background, a voter uses at a voting booth. There is a ballot marking device set up and ready to use as well. The poll workers hand a voter a paper ballot and pen.]

Narrator: Take your ballot to an available voting booth. Be sure to use the marking device supplied at the polling location.

[Once the voter has his ballot, he walks over to a voting booth and begins to mark his ballot.]

Narrator: As a first step, you will need to completely fill in the oval next to your selection. Avoid making any other marks on your ballot.

[There is an image of an example contest on a ballot. The contest reads: For United State Senator. Vote for One. Below are four listed names with an oval next to each name. One of the ovals is filled in, representing the correct way for a voter to fill in the oval to make their selection.]

Narrator: It is important that you mark your ballot properly to ensure that your votes are counted correctly.

[Three examples of marking a ballot incorrectly are displayed. The first example features the voter drawing a circle around their selection. The second is the voter marking an x in the oval next to their selection. The last is the voter drawing a check mark in the oval next to their selection instead of filling in the oval correctly. The word Incorrect appears below these examples, followed by a red circle with a line through its center.]

Narrator: Make sure you mark your selection in all of the races that you intend to vote. Selecting no more than the number of choices allowed.

[A contest on the ballot is displayed. The contest says United State Senator. Vote For One. The words Vote For One are highlighted in yellow.]

Narrator: Step two, review your selections.

[A ballot is displayed with the words Step 2. Review your selections.]

Narrator: Review your selections marked on the paper ballot. If you are satisfied, take your ballot to the ballot scanner.

[A voter finishes marking her ballot at the voting booth. She picks up her ballot, pauses to review it carefully, and walks over to an available ballot scanner. She then inserts her ballot into the ballot scanning tray.]

Narrator: Step three. Cast your ballot.

[There is a close up view of the ballot being fed into the scanning tray. Another voter is voting at the privacy booth in the background].

Narrator: The display screen will provide instructions on how to insert your ballot into the tray.

[The ballot scanner’s display screen reads Welcome. Please insert your ballot. The largest part of the screen has a graphic illustration of a ballot scanner with a ballot hovering near the scanning tray, indicating how it is to be inserted.]

Narrator: The ballot scanner accepts ballots in any orientation.

[A ballot is shown with an up arrow next to it. The ballot then spins until it is upside down with a down arrow next to it. There is a text display saying: The ballot scanner accepts ballots in any orientation.]

Narrator: For example you can insert the ballot upside down or backwards.

[The ballot is shown upside down and there is a text display saying: For example, you can insert the ballot upside down or backwards].

Narrator: A scanning ballot please wait message is displayed during the scanning process.

[The ballot scanner is in the center of the screen and a voter inserts the ballot into its scanning tray. The scanner’s display screen says Scanning Ballot- Please wait.]

Narrator: A prompt will appear if no marks are detected.

[The ballot scanner’s display screen reads Scanning Ballot-Please wait. The screen then changes. There is a white square in the middle with an exclamation point near the top. The text in the square reads Blank Ballot. You have made no selections on this ballot. To correct your ballot press Return and see a poll worker for help. To cast your ballot without any selections press Cast blank ballot. Below this text there are two buttons. The button on the bottom left is labeled Return. The button the bottom right is labeled Cast blank ballot and features a check sign graphic.]

Narrator: Or if you select more than the number of choices allowed.

[The ballot scanner’s display screen has a white square with an exclamation point in the upper left hand corner. The text in the square reads: You filled out too many ovals in one contests. These votes will not count: The table displays the contest title (not the voter’s actual selections) where the voter filled in too many ovals, the number of ovals selected and how many are allowed. There are two buttons at the bottom. On the bottom left the button is labeled Return. There is text above it says Return Your Ballot. To correct your ballot, press RETURN and ask for a new ballot. On the right, the button is labeled Cast and the text above it says Cast Your Ballot. To cast your ballot with votes that will not count, press CAST].

Narrator: If you’d like to change your selections press return ballot on the touchscreen and your ballot will be returned.

[The voter presses the return button on the display screen and the ballot slides back out of the ballot scanner.]

Narrator: You may need to ask the poll worker to give you a new ballot.

[The voter takes the returned ballot from the scanner.]

Narrator: If you prefer to cast your ballot as is, select cast your ballot with mistakes on the touchscreen.

[The voter presses the button labeled Cast on the right hand bottom of the screen. The screen changes to display the words, Thank you for voting. Your ballot has been counted.]

Narrator: If your ballot is filled out properly, it will automatically be accepted and the display screen will notify you once it has been cast successfully.

[The voter inserts a ballot into the ballot scanner’s scanning tray. Once the ballot feeds into the tray, the display screen reads Scanning Ballot, please wait. Once the ballot scanner is finished scanning the ballot the screen reads, Thank you for voting. Your ballot has been counted.

Narrator: The DS200 digital scanner is a simple to use yet cutting edge solution.

[A voter inserts a ballot into the ballot scanner and the display screen shows the welcome, scanning ballot and thank you for voting screen sequence to again demonstrate the ballot scanning process.]

Narrator: For more information visit the Maryland Board of Elections website at elections.maryland.gov.

[Contact information is displayed. Maryland State Board of Elections. elections.maryland.gov. #MDVOTES. The Facebook and Twitter logos are displayed the bottom right corner of the screen.]