the Boost in that Democratic excitement is also expected to Spur higher voter turnout come November for both parties and election officials aren't taking any chances in Bergen County training sessions are being offered to help voters get comfortable with new touchscreen machines it's an effort to avoid the bungled roll out of electronic voting in last Fall's general election where a lack of training and unfamiliarity with the machines led to long wait times and delays in results Raven Santana reports uh I think it's easy enough it's kind of uh you know strange but this is uh it's different and I think I can get into it if I it's going to take me time to sink in here 75-year-old Everett Kenny says he's feeling more confident after casting his first mock vote on the new electric touchscreen voting machines during a demonstration at the United senior activity center of hackin saac it's just one of three training sessions the county offered during August to help voters prepare for the upcoming November elections especially with the presidential election now looking to increase voter turnout when you're ready to start voting You're simply going to tap go to ballot down in the corner a Bergen County election specialist alongside a translator spent about an hour with seniors going over how to use the machines the large touch screens allow voters multiple opportunities to review and change their selection and even offer texts that can be enlarged the new machines cost the county some $15 million and the demonstrations come after there was confusion with the new machines that were used during the election last fall our old machines were over 30 years old they they they needed they had a life expectancy of about 20 15 20 years so we long exceeded their life expectancy um so these these machines were long overdue Jamie Shen Willis is the Deputy superintendent of elections of Bergen County and described the improved technology as more reliable it's better because now there's a paper trail we never had a paper trail before so it's it's much better it all can be checked when we ever do recounts all the ballots are physically counted one at a time um to make sure that the the results are accurate in addition to English the machines are also offered in Korean and Spanish something 77 year-old Wanita Ortiz says will make the process less intimidating I speak English and I know English but I like to speak Spanish and sometime I I need to read in Spanish because sometime I don't know what is the word you know it's good it's good and this three language there what did you like most about the machine it's easy it's in two minute that's easy you know tou touching that's it in two minute you get out do you feel like a lot of your friends here were nervous about the new machine yes yes and then listen this is almost all people here you understand I include myself and I don't understand and then the Spanish almost 9% Spanish and they understand Spanish and English and seniors I spoke would admit they're feeling a little anxious about the new voting machines but also say they're embracing change are you thinking about doing mailing or are you going to try the new machines we saw them today I would like to try the new machines everything new that comes out technology is getting better and we better learn about technology we don't want people to be intimidated we want them to come out and vote okay uh again three ways to vote vote by mail early voting and on Election Day the next mock voting session is being held at Wallington senior activity center on Monday August 26th at 10:30 a.m. for those who cannot make it directions as well as stepbystep videos on how to use the machines can also be found on the County's website for NJ Spotlight News I'm Raven Santana [Music]