NORWALK, Calif. – Voters in Los Angeles County have been using the same system and process for the last 50 years, according to officials with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

Each election period voters would have one day to cast their ballots at a single designated location.

“Having that designated polling place and one day to vote was very challenging to some,” said Michael Sanchez with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

After 10 years of planning and designing a new system, voters will soon be able to utilize a modern version of casting their ballot. The ballot marking device features a touchscreen tablet and paper printed ballot, designed for ease of use with all voters in mind.

“It’s very exciting because now we’re going to be able to utilize a voting system that has never been seen before. It’s unique to only L.A. County,” Sanchez said.

The new system was designed with input from L.A. County voters on what changes they wanted to see and needed. Sanchez has been working on this project since 2014.

Along with the new system is a new process that allows voter to make their voting selections at home with an interactive ballot that creates a QR code that can be taken to any of L.A. County’s soon-to-be unveiled 1,000 voting centers, with an 11-day window to cast their ballot. Voters will still be able to vote by mail and can also use the ballot marking device to make their selections.

“With this new technology, with the new accessibility features it will make things so much easier that people will not only want to try it just so that they can be involved and be a part of it, but, also the act of voting itself will be so positive that they’ll want to vote obviously during the presidential primary but for every election after that as well,” Sanchez said.

On September 28 and 29 the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is inviting the public of all ages to test out the new process for themselves during a Mock Election, ahead of the March Primary Elections. The Mock Election will take place at 50 voting centers throughout L.A. County with ballot questions focusing on the best L.A. parks and sports teams without any connection to politics.

Sanchez and the entire team that worked on designing the new system for the last 10 years hopes the new process will help voters take a moment to vote for the items that matter to them most.