MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Last month, Meridian Township received new voting equipment.

Last week, Clerk Brett Dreyfus presented an interactive community event for residents and election workers to check out the new voting system Meridian Township voters will be using for upcoming elections. He held morning and afternoon open houses.

The open house provided an opportunity to run test ballots through the tabulator, try the new touch-screen ballot marking device for people with disabilities, complete an Absentee Voter application and get questions answered about the August 8, 2017 Millage Election.

"It is exciting for Meridian Township voters to have new election equipment to use. If there is a problem when a voter inserts their ballot, the new tabulator will give better feedback to the voter and the election worker, speeding up corrections and the voting process. The machine also improves voter privacy by not ejecting the ballot when there is a problem, but instead keeping it secure until the ballot issue is resolved," said Dreyfus.

The new voting equipment was provided through a $150,000 grant from the State of Michigan. This bought 19 new tabulators and 19 new voting assistance terminals.

"The new tabulators are fast, light-weight and easier to operate. This should be a better voting experience for every one involved," Dreyfus said.

The equipment will be used for the first time in the August 8 election.