Counties to get choices on voting machines

By JOHN McCARTHY, Associated Press Writer   15 April 2005

COLUMBUS ? Electronic voting machines re-emerged Thursday as an option for local elections boards that must approve new systems in time for next year?s May primary.

Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, in a directive to Ohio?s 88 boards, said touch-screen machines from Diebold Election Systems would be available for boards to choose in addition to optical-scan units previously certified under the Help America Vote Act.

The electronic machines were certified after being fitted with a paper printout that voters can check before hitting the vote button, as required by Ohio law. The state also was able to negotiate an affordable price of $2,700 per machine ? $264 less than a previous price quoted without the paper printout requirement, Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo said.

Blackwell in January told counties the state couldn?t afford the touch-screen systems, so they must choose systems in which voters mark paper ballots that are read by machines at the precinct.

States must replace outdated voting systems by the first federal elections of 2006 under the Help America Vote Act.

The state has about $115 million in federal money available for upgrading the machines in all 88 counties, which LoParo said would cover the cost of buying touch-screen machines in all counties once inactive voters are purged from the rolls, meaning fewer machines would be needed.

Blackwell had estimated about $140 million for touch-screen machines under the old price, compared with $100 million to use the optical-scan machines and allow one touch-screen voting machine for disabled voters in each polling place.

Counties are expected to make a mix of choices, LoParo said.

Cuyahoga County?s board previously ed Diebold touch screens, and Michael Vu, the county?s elections director, said the board likely will reaffirm that choice. Cuyahoga was one of three counties that had challenged Blackwell?s directive to pick an optical-scan vendor. Vu welcomed Thursday?s directive.

?It only confirms Cuyahoga County?s original decision and its continued position that local election boards should have options,? Vu said.

Vu said he would like to phase in use of the machines this fall when many of the county?s 59 communities have primaries on varying dates.

?We?ve always said the municipal election year is the best time to roll out a new election system,? he said.

The Portage County board also challenged Blackwell?s directive, but no decision has been made about ing a vendor or system type, elections director Lois Enlow said. Matt Damschroder, the director in Franklin County, the third to take Blackwell to court over the January directive, said that while he welcomed the new option, it did not really address the issue of Blackwell?s authority to dictate what type of voting system counties must use.

Even if all 88 counties chose Diebold?s touch screens, about 45,000 would be needed, LoParo said. Diebold could handle such an order, marketing director Mark Radke said.

?We do have an inventory of touch screens that can be deployed quickly. We have our own in-house manufacturing, so that kind of requirement can easily be achieved,? Radke said.

While critics of touch-screen machines have said they are vulnerable to computer hackers and others who would commit voter fraud, Diebold?s machines have passed state and federal security tests, Radke said.

State Sen. Teresa Fedor, a Toledo Democrat who urged the passage of the law requiring the paper printout, said she is satisfied that the system is secure.

?We have an audit trail, so that if something happens, we?d have the ability to have a hand recount,? Fedor said.

Allen County plans to stick with optical scan, elections director Keith Cunningham said. The county has tested both systems, but the board saw no reason to abandon optical scan, he said.

?It?s worked in Allen County since 1995,? Cunningham said.