Voting At The Polls

At your polling place, you will be asked to show photo and signature identification. Your Driver's License is ideal since it contains your photo and signature. If you do not have proper identification, you will be given a provisional ballot to complete and place in an envelope. If you make a mistake on your ballot, take it to a poll worker and you will be given a new ballot. You are entitled up to three ballots.

How to Mark Your Ballot Correctly

TO VOTE, COMPLETELY FILL IN THE OVAL NEXT TO YOUR CHOICE

• Use only the marking device provided in the voting booth.
• If you make a mistake, don't hesitate to ask for a new ballot. If you erase or make other marks, your vote may not count.
• To vote for a candidate whose name is not printed on the ballot, fill in the oval and write the candidate's name on the blank line provided for such a write-in candidate.

Sample Ballot

You must completely fill in the oval for your vote to count. Any other mark may not be read by the scanner.
You must write in the name AND fill in the oval next to the name, for the write-in vote to count. Also, the write-in candidate must be a QUALIFIED candidate. Check with your precinct clerk for a list of qualified write-in candidates.	Do NOT use a check mark. Do NOT mark the oval with an X. Do NOT circle the oval.

Jefferson County's Voting System

Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners purchased our voting and tabulation system in 2020 with the Dominion Voting System Image Cast Evolution which you will hear us refer to as the ICE unit. The ICE unit is an integrated accessible voting solution. This accessible option protects the privacy, anonymity, and dignity of the voter while allowing audio ballot capability and enables voters of varying abilities to navigate, complete, and cast a paper ballot that is indistinguishable from one that’s conventionally marked by hand.

The ICE unit is an optical scan tabulating device that reads paper ballots. In Jefferson County, the paper ballots are designed with ovals to the left of each candidate or issue that the voter must completely fill in indicating their choice. The ICE unit is designed to be used by every voter, including those voters who might need assistance to vote.

Voting Terminology

SPOILED BALLOT

When you make a mistake on your ballot, this is considered a Spoiled Ballot and you may ask for a replacement. You may receive up to two replacements or a total of three ballots.

OVERVOTE/ UNDERVOTE

With the ICE unit, if you overvote a race (voting for more candidates or issues than allowed in a race) or if you leave your ballot completely blank, it will be returned to you when you insert the ballot into the ICE unit. This gives the voter the opportunity to correct their ballot so that the voter can be sure that every vote counts.