Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew wants to hear what voters think about potential changes at the county’s polling places.

Shew has scheduled the first of a series of meetings for 7 p.m. Thursday at Building 21 of the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 19th and Harper streets.

Shew wants to begin receiving feedback on changes that will be necessary to comply with the 2002 Help America Vote Act. Among the changes required by the act are the installation of equipment that ensures people with disabilities can vote without assistance from a poll worker, and installation of equipment that notifies a voter if a ballot has been marked in a way that would render it void. Examples of that include accidentally voting for two people for one position.

Shew has scheduled three other informational meetings:

¢ 7 p.m. Monday, Baldwin City Library.

¢ 1 p.m. Nov. 12, Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

¢ 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at a Eudora location that is to be determined.

Shew also will host an elections vendor fair from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at Building 21 of the Douglas County Fairgrounds to allow members of the public to see and test various electronic voting machines and other devices that may be needed to comply with the federal act.