Smooth vote in Fla. a boost for local firms

2 companies test accuracy of new touch-screen polls

By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News
September 2, 2004

Two Colorado companies authorized to test the accuracy of touch- screen voting machines got good news.

The ATM-like machines were used Tuesday in 15 counties in Florida's primary elections. And while critics have uncovered flaws in such electronic machines, Tuesday's vote appeared to go smoothly, based on local reports.

Secretary of State Glenda Hood said her office had no reports of major problems. And Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, a Miami lawyer with the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, said the "election looked good."

In Florida's gubernatorial primary two years ago, voters in some counties stood in long lines after election workers had trouble turning on the machines.

Ciber Inc. of Greenwood Village and Denver-based SysTest Labs are among the three companies nationwide authorized to test and certify the touch-screen systems.

Critics question their independence because the voting-machine manufacturers pay for the testing.

Ciber and SysTest test and certify the software and related components.

A third company, Wyle Laboratories, based in California, ensures the machines work correctly under various conditions and environments. SysTest also recently was authorized to do so.

A spokeswoman for Election Systems & Software, whose touch- screen terminals were used in 11 Florida counties, said Ciber and SysTest tested the Florida machines' software.

"We had an incredibly successful election," said Becky Vollmer, spokeswoman for Omaha-based ES&S. "Voters can and should have confidence that their votes are being cast and counted accurately."

A spokesman for California-based Sequoia Voting Systems, whose touch-screen terminals were used in four Florida counties, said Ciber tests its software.

A Ciber spokeswoman declined to comment. A SysTest official couldn't be reached.

Voters in Florida voiced satisfaction.

Yvonne Galore, of Broward County, liked her touch-screen experience "because the paper was confusing." She added: "This introduces more color and clarity."

Cindy Cohn, a lawyer working with the Election Protection Coalition, said the group received isolated reports of machines not booting up or freezing on voters. In Broward County, there were reports that some machines failed to call up a Democratic ballot. Broward officials said they had no report of problems.

"There's nothing about today (Tuesday) that alleviates the concern we've been raising all along," Cohn said. "These machines haven't been independently tested. They don't have an audit trail. . . . This idea that we have to cross our fingers and hope everything went OK is no way to run an election."