I voted in Allegheny County. We filled in bubbles on paper, and then at the end, put our ballots in what looked like a scantron machine. It had a screen with a simple confirmation message (something like "thank you for voting") that lit up after it scanned your ballot. I also wasn't asked my party affiliation.
I worked the polls in Allegheny, and while the broad strokes are similar to what you described, there are definitely a few differences:
- Most people fill out their ballot on paper with a pen, but a voting machine is also available to generate a ballot (anyone can request to use the machine, but it's intended for those with disabilities). Either way, the voter then feeds their paper ballot into a central counting machine (most districts only have one, but some have more).
- Police are in no way involved (unless the poll workers call them to attempt to address an issue during the day). The judge of elections is responsible for picking up the materials a few days beforehand and then dropping them off at the county office at the end of the day.
- Only four receipts are printed: one to go to the county office, one stays with the minority inspector for a year, one is posted outside the polling place, and... I can't remember what happens with the fourth.
In any case, though, thanks for writing this up in detail -- it's good to read how other places do it, and for those that haven't been a poll worker, it's good to read how at least one place does it!
If it helps, the machines described in OP sound similar to what we used here four years ago. I haven't voted in between though so I'm not sure when the switchover actually took place here.
I know that in Texas, some smaller counties don't use voting machines at all and only do paper ballots. However some of the larger ones like Dallas use a DRE machine combined with a tabulator instead. As long as the Secretary of State approves the method, counties are free to handle it as they see fit.
I’m in PA - Lancaster county voter here. My experience matches yours with the scantron. We had no digital option this election, though we did in the last. Two people worked the books at our polling place.
