Machines' vote tracking acceptable

By NICHOLAS CHARALAMBOUS
Anderson Independent-Mail
January 22, 2005

An audit of vote tallies shows no major discrepancies in the recording of ballots by the iVotronic touch-screen voting system used for the first time in Anderson and 12 other counties on Nov. 2. All 46 counties in South Carolina will use the system in 2006.

An analysis of voting data released under a Freedom of Information Act request from the Anderson Independent-Mail showed the difference between the number of ballots actually cast by the machines and the number of registered voters who signed in amounted to no more than a handful of votes in the 34 of the 75 Anderson County precincts showing discrepancies.

Elections officials say that?s within the usual margin of error. Among the explanations are voters who may have forgotten to sign the voter list after taking a ballot, voters who were impatient and decided to leave the precinct without casting a vote, or voters apparently not registered who were allowed to cast provisional ballots.

In all, 15 precincts showed discrepancies where more votes were cast than voters who signed up, but the difference was never more than four votes. Another 19 precincts showed fewer votes cast than voters who signed up, a difference as high as seven votes at the Brushy Creek precinct in Powdersville.

"We try to be accountable for every voter who votes and every ballot that is cast," said Patsy Brown, director of the Anderson County Elections and Registration Commission.

State Elections Director Marci Andino, who was attending an elections conference this week, welcomed what appeared to be confirmation of the machines? accurate performance. She said no reports of discrepancies had surfaced from other counties as a result of a vote audit required by state law.

Under that regulation, county elections commissions that find undervoting are forced to reduce vote totals of all candidates according to the error ratio. More than 10-percent overvoting would require a new election.

With the vast majority of state moving toward electronic voting machines, voting experts had raised concerns that the machines could be rigged or could malfunction. Many have pushed for a voting receipt to ensure that a paper record can be used to verify the accuracy of voters? intentions.

Anderson County Republican Party Chairman Rick Adkins said the analysis of the vote audit confirmed his view that the election went off smoothly. He said he still planned to ensure there were safeguards in place at the next election to prevent use of unauthorized ballots.

"I haven?t heard one complaint," Mr. Adkins said about the machines.

Anderson County Democratic Party Chairman Philip Cheney also said he was reassured that the machines appear to have accurately recorded votes, but he maintained that verification measures still should be considered as the state moves forward with the $34 million rollout of touch-screen machines statewide.

"There?s no way to ever check if you don?t have a paper trail," he said.