Voting machine pitch made
February 10,2005
CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF

A handful of Onslow County residents voted Wednesday, but not for candidates or issues.

Instead, they voted on whether or not they liked the new electronic voting machines being pitched by Hart Intercivic during a luncheon and demonstration for the county Board of Commissioners at the Fairfield Inn off Western Boulevard.

So far, the voters gave the machines a definite "Yes" while recognizing that it was radically different than the punch-card system the county currently uses.

While no decisions have been made to purchase Hart Intercivic's eSlate system, everyone from residents to county officials seemed to be impressed by the machines' capabilities.

The electronic voting system is composed of four components: the eSlate voting tablet, a disabled-access voting unit, a judge's control console and the physical voting booth.

The voting tablet itself is shaped like a giant grey calculator with a large damage-resistant "tough" screen and a color-coded button interface.

In each precinct, the voting tablets are controlled and managed by one control console that is linked to each of the voting machines. When a voter comes in, they receive a printed slip from the poll worker that assigns them a random, untraceable four-digit number that they can use to access the polls.

Once the number is plugged into the machine, the voter is able to cast a ballot.

"It was easy; it was pretty good," said 81-year-old Onslow resident Odie Hall, who used the disabled access system's headphones to help him vote. "But (it) takes a little getting used to."

Ray Humphries, 75, also thought the machine was fairly user friendly, but he said it would require a large adjustment.

"It's going to require a lot of assistance from the poll workers," Humphries said.

Molly Terry, Hart's regional sales manager, said the list price for the voting unit and the judge's console is about $2,500. The unit for the disabled, which can accommodate most problems from hearing impairment to paralysis, runs about $3,000. Terry said the company recommends one machine for every 250 voters.

Texas-based Hart Intercivic supplies voting equipment and training to counties across the country in states such as Texas, Ohio and California. The largest county they supply is Texas's Harris County, which includes Houston and has about 1.9 million registered voters.

Right now, Catawba County is the only one in North Carolina to use the eSlate voting system. Larry Brewer, the director of Catawba's Board of Elections, said they bought the equipment in January 2004 and have used them for three elections without problems.

"We like them very much," Brewer said. "It was a good investment."

Onslow County is expected to spend about $1 million upgrading its voting equipment no matter what vendor they decide to purchase from. Machines capable of a paper trail will cost the county about $500,000 more, said Commissioner Paul Buchanan.

Buchanan also tried out the machines and said it was very simple and user friendly. But he did say he would only feel comfortable with a paper trail. Right now, North Carolina does not require a paper trail for electronic voting.

County elections supervisor Rose Whitehurst said it is expected that the state will mandate paper back-ups when it releases the certified machine lists.

Buchanan said he grew concerned by watching the situation in Carteret County, where 4,438 votes were lost due to errors in their computerized voting machines.

"If we don't have a receipt, we can get ourselves in a jam," Buchanan said. "I'm concerned with having a safeguard. I'd just like to have a paper trail because it would be safer for the voters."

Barbara White, of Hart Intercivic, said such a mistake wouldn't happen on their machines because of the system's safeguards. Each vote is saved in three independent, physically separate locations.

Interim County Manager Alvin Barrett said he also liked the machines but added he still wants to see what else is in the market before making a decision.

Across the country, counties are waiting on the Election Assistance Commission, a federal body created by the Helping America to Vote Act of 2002, to release their certified vendor lists, which they will then pass to the states' election boards. The states will then decide on their own lists, which they will pass to the counties.

The problem is that time is running short. According to HAVA, every county must have either a direct-record electronic (DRE) machine or optical scanners by Jan. 1, 2006. And the machines usually have a 90-day wait between date of purchase and date of arrival.

Whitehurst said the county will need to purchase machines by July to have them for November's municipal elections. She said they won't buy anything until they hear from the state.

The next step is to test the machines. Whitehurst said she is uncertain what constitutes a state-approved test and whether it needs to be a civic election or if it can be tested during a private election for a club or a school.