County eyes paper ballots
Optical scan equipment might be used if electronic machines are not certified

By Rebecca Helmes
Staff writer Palladium-Item  12 September 2004 

Wayne County might be using optical scan equipment to tabulate election results in November if iVotronic voting machines are not certified by Oct. 1.

The Indiana Election Commission allowed uncertified iVotronic machines to be used in Indiana's primary elections in May but will not make the same exception this time

Representatives from the voting machine supplier Election Systems & Software will have a public news conference at 2 p.m. Monday in the Wayne County Council/Commissioners' Chambers to address questions people might have.

ES&S spokeswoman Meghan McCormick said the company is trying to get the iVotronic voting machines certified for the upcoming election as well as preparing the backup M100s to be used in the event that the iVotronics are not certified.

Wayne County Clerk Sue Anne Lower is waiting to see whether ES&S will be able to get the iVotronic machines certified in time for the deadline.

Just in case though, ES&S is paying to have ballots printed to use with the optical scan equipment, called M100s. With this system, voters mark their choices on a paper ballot and the ballot is scanned and tabulated in the machine. The paper ballots are collected and saved.

Wayne County used two M100s in previous elections to tabulate absentee ballots.

"We've already used these in-house," Lower said, although the machines will be new to most poll workers. The clerk's office will have to train them on the M100s like they trained them on the iVotronics in 2003 and 2004.

"That's a lot of training, a lot of work," Lower said.

Using punch card machines as in past elections is not an option.

"We can't use punch cards," Lower said. "I don't even have the reader."

Lower said she hopes she knows where the county stands on election equipment by Sept. 22. Absentee voting starts Oct. 4.

"We're going to have an election, we're just not sure what way it's going to go at the present time," Lower said.

Three other Indiana counties (Henry, Johnson and Vanderburgh) are in the same situation as Wayne County.

Johnson County Clerk Jill Jackson announced in August she will not wait for the iVotronics to be certified. She is using the M100s. Henry and Vanderburgh counties, like Wayne, are waiting to see whether the iVotronics will be certified.

Marsha Abell, Vanderburgh County clerk, said she received an e-mail from an ES&S representative on Friday stating they received feedback from those dealing with election certification that lead them to believe the company will be able to get the iVotronics certified in time.

"Right now, if the iVotronics get certified we're going to use them," Abell said. Vanderburgh, like Wayne, uses the M100s for absentee ballots.

ES&S is picking up the tab on printing ballots and bringing in extra M100s for the November election. Wayne County has not paid ES&S anything for any voting equipment yet. ES&S had to post a $10 million bond to cover the costs of providing the counties with a usable election system if touch screen machines are not certified by Oct. 1.

"There's going to be an election whether they (the iVotronics) are certified or not," Lower said. "I feel secure in that we do have everything ordered."

Lower said county elected officials wanted to use the iVotronics. People with disabilities also liked them for their handicapped accessibility.

"That's what we wanted to use," Lower said. "That's what the people really liked."

"We're just kind of biding our time right now."