Paper or, uh, plastic?
County voters to have choice of paper or electronic ballots

by MIKE PECK
Managing Editor   The Cameron Herald   07 March 2005

Soon, candidates won't be the only choice for Milam County voters when they go to the polls.

Voters will have the option of voting on paper ballots - or on a new electronic voting machine.

State officials have mandated that counties across Texas must be prepared to offer electronic voting in each of its precincts beginning Jan. 1, 2006.

With that deadline looming just eight months away, county commissioners and workers in the county clerk's office saw the first demonstration of the electronic voting equipment from one of four companies that have been certified by the Secretary of State's office to offer such equipment for sale.

Gary Gandy and Randy Ray of Hart InterCivic of Austin, demonstrated their E-Slate voting machine Monday morning. The company is also working on production of an E-Scan machine that when marketed will scan and tally paper ballots.

"This is just one of the four certified companies we're going to bring in to give demonstrations as we try to determine what is the best way for us to go," said Milam County Clerk La Verne Soefje.

"Ultimately, we hope to make a decision and have this equipment in place for our Nov. 8 amendments election," Soefje said. "That election generally produces a light voter turnout and would give us an opportunity to work with the equipment before we get into a general election."

The paperless E-Slate system demonstrated Monday generates a random four-digit code for a voter. That code is used to access the actual electronic ballot once a voter steps up to the voting machine.

While voters using the equipment won't handle a paper ballot, the system does offer an "administrative" paper trail that can be accessed by election officials.

The E-Slate is designed much like a large version of a Pocket PC, controlled by a series of buttons on the front of the equipment.

The system is also set up to accommodate voters' with a wide variety of handicaps.

The system demonstrated to county officials Monday carries a price tag of $6,000 per unit. State grant funds will pick up $3,000 of each of the voting machines.

Soefje said that according to state mandates, the county must offer one electronic voting machine in each of its voting precincts. In the case of Milam County, that means 11 of the machines will have to be purchased.

Soefje said county officials have scheduled another demonstration with Scott Merriman and Co. on March 9 to take a look at that company's Accpull electronic voting equipment.

On March 15, representatives of Unilect will be in town to conduct a demonstration of its equipment and representatives of ESS, the company which presently provides the county optical ballot scanning equipment, will visit to demonstrate its electronic voting equipment.

Soefje said voters shouldn't worry about the electronic voting equipment - because for the time being, it is only being added as a "choice" for voters.

"We are required to have one of the electronic voting machines at each of our polling places," Soefje said. "There will also be the same kind of paper ballots available for people who want to vote that way."

Soefje said the state has not yet mandated that the electronic voting equipment be the only method offered to voters.

"That's not the case," she said. "Come election time, voters can come to the poll and vote on a paper ballot, or use the electronic voting machine. There may be a time when electronic polling is all that's available - but for the time being, that's not what the state has required that we do."