They've been tested and state election officials are confidant that voting machines in Alabama's 67 counties will function properly during Tuesday's general election.

Election Administrator Ed Packard with the Secretary of State's office said county officials ran a final check on the machines two weeks ago.

Packard said there are three types of voting machines used in the state.

• Montgomery, Mobile and DeKalb counties use the direct record voting machine that requires voters to punch a button next to the candidate of choice.
  
• Bullock County uses the lever-style voting machine, it requires a voter to push a lever next to a candidate's name.
  
• The remaining 63 counties use optical scan voting machines. Packard said the optical scan device requires voters to mark paper ballots with pencils -- the ballots are read by computers.

Packard's advice to voters who use paper ballots is to read the instructions carefully and avoid making stray marks on the ballot sheets.