TOUCH SCREEN VOTING THROUGH JUNE 2.

LANCASTER -- Citizens can vote early for the June 6 election.

Electronic voting devices set up at Lancaster's fire training center -- and at 16 other locations around Los Angeles County -- will let voters cast ballots through June 2 for the primary election.

This is the sixth year that Los Angeles County has let citizens vote early in advance on electronic touch-screen voting equipment, and the option has proved popular, officials said.

Citizens can vote 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through June 2 at the North County Fire Training Center at 42110 6th St. W., north of Avenue M.

The touch-screen ballot contains the same contests and measures as voters will see at their polling place on election day or that they would receive by mail if they vote by absentee ballot.

Each voter's registration will be confirmed at the polling place prior to voting. Each voter is handed an ATM-like ``smart card'' to activate the machine. The voter moves through the ballot by touching options on the electronic screen. A review page at the conclusion lets voters know if they've skipped any races.

The touch-screen screens can show ballots in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese as well as in English. They also will display the ballots in large text for voters with poor eyesight and have headsets for voters with poor hearing.

Vote totals with each machine will be brought to the central tally location for counting on election day.

Polling places on June 6 will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place on the back cover of their sample ballot booklets, go online at www.lavote.net, or call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Voters will cast ballots on touch-screen machines like this one for the June 6 primary election.

(2) Beatrice Diaz casts her ballot in early touch screen voting at North County Fire Training Center. The option is available through June 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer