New voting system not needed in Lake County
Editorial   Northeast Ohio News-Herald   01/17/2005
 

When it comes to conducting virtually foolproof elections, seven of Ohio's counties are far ahead of the other 81.
As it became apparent that the time had come to replace outmoded, old-fashioned voting machines or other archaic methods of casting ballots, elections officials in those seven counties did their homework.
They studied every available option. They listened to representatives of companies that wanted their business. They went on field trips. They weighed all the alternatives - plus the costs involved - and they chose to purchase state-of-the-art voting devices that are amazingly efficient in how well they work.
The devices they bought are called electronic voting machines. They do exactly what they are supposed to do - make it easy to vote and get the results right.
Lake County is one of those seven counties using electronic voting machines. As anyone who lives in the county and has cast a ballot in an election is aware, they are easy to use.
Push a button and it points at the name of a candidate. Want to change that vote? Just push another button and the arrow moves to where you want it.
When you have made your ions, simply review your choices and push the magic button that casts all of your votes.
But the seven counties have a problem. Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, following guidelines established by Ohio Substitute House Bill 262 passed in 2004, and to ensure compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), issued a mandate that would force all 88 counties to use Precinct Count Optical Scans.
He maintains that is the most cost-effective way to provide voter verified paper audit trails, as required in HB 262.
Lake County - and the other counties that use electronic machines - are hollering "foul." They cite Blackwell's mandate as a perfect example of trying to fix something that is not broken.
"Our system was chosen after 10 years' research," Elections Director Janet F. Clair said. "The voters have a good sense of comfort with it, the lines at the polls were relatively short and we were the first county in Ohio to report elections results."
The paper-trail element of HB 262 was controversial. At the time is was passed, State Sen. Randy Gardner, a Bowling Green Republican, was outspoken on the issue. He tried to block the mandate but was unsuccessful.
Jon Husted, a Kettering Republican and newly chosen speaker of the House, would like to review the subject. He says legislators may have acted prematurely when they passed HB 262 last April.
Meanwhile, Lake County elections officials want to protect their $3 million investment in the electronic machines, as well as a voting system that is a model for the entire country - if any politicians from Columbus or Washington would care to come here and take a look at it.
That could be an eye-opening experience. But legislators at times are under so much pressure from various vendors trying to sell their products that they become confused.
The Lake County Elections Board will meet Wednesday with Prosecutor Charles E. Coulson to discuss strategy. The three county commissioners have been invited.
The board is looking at two options, Clair said. One is to be legislatively grandfathered into the present system. That is where the county's state senator and two state representatives could be of help. The other is to look at legal avenues for a solution to keep the voting system intact.
Clair said HB 262 contains language that would allow the county to be reimbursed for any future expenses incurred to retrofit the electronic machines and upgrade them to provide paper trails.
If Husted can't find support in the legislature to deal with the paper-trail requirement, then Lake County absolutely should be reimbursed for the upgrade with funds from $106 million available from the state and HAVA funding.
The three commissioners are unanimous in agreeing the county made the proper decision in buying the electronic machines and that the voting system works very well.
"We have existing equipment that works and we choose not to replace it," Clair said.
The problem was created legislatively, and it can be fixed legislatively. Any member of the General Assembly who doesn't understand that doesn't belong in Columbus.