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Oversight Group Says Philly's Voting Machines Are Ready For Tuesday

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Members of the election watchdog group The Committee of 70 fanned out today at a city warehouse on Wissahickon Avenue for their regular pre-election inspection of Philadelphia's voting machines, which will see action on November 2nd.

Before the electronic machines were wheeled out to the loading dock, the group randomly selected machines from each of Philadelphia's sixty-six voting wards for testing.

Committee of 70's Frankie Lancos (in top photo) checked about a dozen of the voting booths herself:

"Ever since these machines were introduced in the early 2000s, we come out and do a random machine inspection just to make sure the votes you're casting are the same votes that are recorded."

The machines, which resemble the old mechanical-lever voting machines, have proven pretty reliable, according to deputy city commissioner Fred Voight (right):

"You shouldn't encounter any problems at all.  They're simple, quick, and accurate."

The ballot will not be cluttered for this midterm Election Day, with an open governor's seat, a contested US Senate race, and all state representatives up for re-election.

Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio.
Photo by Steve Tawa

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