Cayla Harris is reporting for the Times Union state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, the head of the Senate elections committee, is asking the state Board of Elections to pause the process to adopt touch-screen voting machines long enough to give lawmakers the time to gather public comment about the devices. The board is currently testing the ExpressVote XL voting system, designed by the Nebraska-based company Election Systems & Software. It is a ballot-marking device; a hybrid machine that allow voters to cast their ballots using a touch screen. The system produces a paper record of the votes as a confirmation to ensure an accurate count. However, there are questions about the precision of the machines and whether they are vulnerable to hackers. The good-government organization Common Cause New York have been raising alarms about the technology for months. The group argues that certifying the machines would "risk jeopardizing [New York] elections." Myrie wrote a letter to the Board of Elections last week, requesting the commissioners hold off their decision about the machines until he can call a public hearing. He wants to explore the Express Vote XL, in addition to ballot-marking devices in general, during a hearing that would likely be held after the state budget is finalized on April 1. Read the full story in the Times Union.