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Berkeley,
California (Monday, February 4, 2002)
– The City of Berkeley
will provide early voting opportunities using
electronic touchscreen voting equipment.
Any person
registered to vote anywhere in Alameda County and wishing to vote
prior to Election Day, March 5, 2002, may come to the City Clerk
Department located on the first floor of the Civic Center Building
at 2180 Milvia Street starting Monday, February 4th
through Friday, February 22nd.
This service will be provided from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. on
weekdays, with the exception of holidays – Tuesday, February 12th
and Monday, February 18th.
The City of
Berkeley participated in an early voting program using touchscreen
technology during the November 2000 election. Public response from
the approximately 500 voters was extremely positive.
Voters appreciated the convenience of having a choice of days
to vote and commented on the ease of operation of the voting
equipment.
Touchscreen
voting equipment offers several advantages over traditional paper
ballots: 1) large print screen displays ballot material in either
English, Spanish or Chinese; 2) audio and visual aids allows persons
with hearing, visual and other physical impairments to vote
unassisted; 3) voter can not overvote; 4) voter may review
and change ballot choices prior to casting ballot; and 5) voter may
vote at a location other than an assigned precinct as long as the
voter is registered to vote in Alameda County.
While voter
registration deadlines were recently extended to 15 days prior to an
election, voters need to have been registered by February 4th
to take advantage of early voting.
Anyone not registered to vote that comes to the City Clerk
Department and completes or turns in a voter registration form by
February 18th will be able to vote on March 5th at their
polling place or at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office,
1225 Fallon Street in Oakland, (510) 272-6982.
The
Berkeley City Clerk Department, (510) 981-6900, is also available to
answer general election questions.
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