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The Sibley County Auditor’s Office is sponsoring a Voter Outreach program at the Sibley County Fair in Arlington August 2-6.

The AutoMARK and M100 voting machines will be displayed and demonstrated in the commercial exhibit building #21 (booth #6) on the fairgrounds. Representatives from the Secretary of State’s Office will be present Friday, Aug. 4 and Saturday, Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. to demonstrate the voting equipment that voters will be using in this year’s elections.

Sibley County election administrators Lisa Pfarr and Karen Ruehling watched as Gregory Johnson tried using the new AutoMARK voter assist terminal. The AutoMARK machine will be available at all county polling places this year. Sibley County received a grant to purchase the machines to come into compliance with the Help America Vote Act. The machine will be demonstrated during the Sibley County Fair in Arlington next week.

Sibley County received a grant to purchase the voting machines, to come into compliance with the Help America Vote Act. The AutoMARK voter assist terminals are said to “guarantee an optical scan balloting device that will capture voter intent,” according to Auditor Lisa Pfarr. These machines will be available at every polling place but voters will not be required to use them.

There will also be optical scan ballots available, that voters will fill in the ovals and then feed the ballot into the M100 precinct ballot counter. This equipment will also be displayed at the County Fair.

The Secretary of State’s Office distributed grant money totaling about $35 million statewide, to improve access to polling places for voters with disabilities and to provide statewide voter equality.

Those attending the fair will have the opportunity to do a test ballot to see how the new voting machines work.

County officials encourage the public to take this opportunity to view the new machines and become acquainted with how they work, prior to elections this fall.

The voting machines will also be on public display at the Sibley County Courthouse through August 10.