Ballots are fed manually. Central scanning units include the Sequoia Pacific IV-C and the ESS 550 . They use automatic feeders. For large jurisdictions, central scanning has the potential for significant cost saving compared to precinct scanning and touch screens. The machines are mechanical or electronic equipment.
Voters pull levers or push buttons next to the candidates for whom they wish to vote.
The machines tend to be old and bulky, and their use is declining. These types of equipment are not suitable for absentee or mail ballots. Models include the Sequoia Pacific AVC Advantage, the Danaher Controls Shouptronic , and numerous older lever models. With a punch card system, the voter uses a stylus to punch out tiny circles or rectangles in a card. This is the old IBM computer card system.