Touch screen voting - practice now

Becky Bosshart
July 21, 2004

This past week, Churchill County clerk's office manager Kelly Helton helped about 25 people understand the new touch-screen voting machine, which will be used for the first time in the Sept. 7 primary.

Sixteen of Nevada's counties will transition to the touch screen method. Washoe county has used an electronic scanning system to count paper ballots. Clark made the switch to touch screen voting about 14 years ago.

For Churchill voters, the transition from punch card to the high-tech Sequoia Voting Machine may seem a little awkward at first. To help quell any electronic anxiety, citizens can practice voting on one of the machines set up outside the clerk/treasurer's office in the County Administration Building.

"I had a gentleman this morning and he was concerned about touching (the screen) but he did great," she said. "Everyone is welcome to come down and check it out."

The dark blue voting machine is the size of a personal computer and sits up on four legs. The touch screen is shaded by privacy guards.

Churchill County was given 75 voting machines for its 19 precincts. The machines were purchased by the state in accordance with a federal mandate passed after the 2000 Florida election fiasco. Nevada received the minimum allotment of $5 million through the Help America Vote Act.

Helton said the process is easy and so far she hasn't noticed anyone having any problems. Primary voters will first sign the register, like they've done in the past. Their ballot they will be determined by how they are registered to vote - Republican or Democrat.

Next the voter is given a blue card with a yellow arrow on it. The person s this card into a yellow slot on the lower left-hand side of the voting machine. The directions are printed in large type, with corresponding graphics, on the machine's right panel.

"The precinct worker will activate the card and the ballot type will be put on the card and given to the voter," Helton said.

The office up for election and the list of candidates appear on the screen. By touching the box that contains the candidate's name a green check appears in a circle beside that name. Helton said if the voter changes his or her mind, or touches the wrong name, the voter can cancel the ion by touching the box again . At all times the voter has the option of going back and changing their votes until the ballot is cast.

On the test program, voters can Harriet Tubman for president or Booker T. Washington for U.S. senator. Afterward, all the voter's ions will be listed on the screen for review.

If one of the names is in red that means a full ion wasn't made. For example, some offices allow votes to be cast for two candidates. Helton said the voter can choose to only vote for one person, or not to vote for that office at all. After all ions are made a big button appears in the center of the screen: "Touch here to print and review a paper record of your ballot."

The machine running the practice program doesn't yet have the VeriVote Printer attachment, which will print out a paper copy behind Plexiglas for the voter to verify. Helton said the voter does not get to keep this copy. It goes into storage in case of a recount. If the person is satisfied they then press the button that casts the ballot.

"In August we will get the VeriVote Printer attachments for the voting booth, and that will print out what you voted for," she said.

The blue and yellow voter card will eject, and the voter returns it to the pollworker to be activated for the next voter. Early voting for the primary begins Aug. 21.

According to Associated Press reports, scientists say paperless systems made by Sequoia and other competitors expose elections to malicious attacks, software glitches and mechanical errors that could alter or ballots.

But according to Sequoia's Web site, its tamperproof products are sought out for their accuracy and reliability. The company has operated for 14 years in 16 states.