New accessible machine available at all voting locations in 2025

Hennepin County Elections is excited to announce that the ExpressVote, an accessible ballot marking device, will now be available at all voting locations in the county.

Minnesota law requires all voting locations in the state to have an accessible ballot marking device. Hennepin County is committed to providing a device that is secure and easy to use and allows voters with disabilities to fill out their ballot independently and privately.

“Accessible ballot marking device” is a mouthful, but what it really means is that voters will be able to fill out (“mark”) their ballot using a touchscreen instead of a pen. The ExpressVote also includes a Braille-equipped touchpad for voters with vision disabilities. Voters can also adjust the size of the text on the screen, change the screen contrast, and have their ballot read to them via headphones.

Minnesota continues to use exclusively paper ballots, so it’s important to note that the ExpressVote is NOT an electronic voting machine and does NOT store or tabulate votes. After a voter makes their selections on the ExpressVote screen, the machine prints out a paper ballot that must then be fed into the ballot tabulator for their vote to be counted, just like every other ballot.

While the ExpressVote is designed to improve the voting experience for voters with disabilities and accessibility needs, the machines are open to all voters. Just ask an election judge to show you how it works!

We piloted the ExpressVote in limited cities during the 2024 election season, and we’re now rolling it out to all of Hennepin County. We encourage you to check it out when you vote in 2025!

For more information about the ExpressVote (including a how-to video of all its accessibility features), visit https://www.hennepin.us/residents/elections/accessible-voting.