(WPDE) — Faster, safer results, and a more efficient voter reporting process. That’s what the South Carolina Election Commission is hoping a new voting tabulator will provide for voters in the Palmetto State. The new tabulator is what scans your ballot after you vote. It’s supposed to be easier to use, process results faster, and provide added security. South Carolina purchased more than 3,200 new voting tabulator machines. The DS 300 Scanner has enhanced security compared to its predecessors, like pick-resistant locks. The predecessor, the DS 200 didn’t come with that feature. So, you can’t pick into these machines and break them apart. So, that’s really important to us,” said Aphra McCrea, the Elections Director for Georgetown County. The new machines cost the state almost 29 million dollars. The Elections Director for Georgetown County said they will help ensure a fair election. “The new DS 300 is designed to only work with malware that is compatible to the system. They can’t be broken into and have another election or something foreign installed into them. They’re only designed to work with certain software and malware. That’s also important,” said McCrea. The tabulator is also not connected to the internet. It stays locked until the polls close, then it’s unlocked and results are uploaded 4.5 times faster than before. “We would have poll workers standing and waiting around to print the election night results for 10 minutes. Once we close the polls on these DS 300s, you should see the way the results come shooting out, I mean, it’s really fast,” said McCrea. The machines will also be used in all 46 counties across the Palmetto State. So, all of South Carolina will see the more efficient tabulators in action this upcoming election. “You get your results quicker, and you can rely on our machines that they haven’t been tampered with, that the information that’s been installed in there came specifically from the state elections commission,” said McCrea. The DS 300 also has a battery backup, so your votes will still be safe in the event of a power outage. Early voting in South Carolina starts on Monday, October 21, and runs through Saturday, November 2. Categories: Local News, News, Politics, State Tags: early voting, SC Votes