Pratt still satisfied with touch-screen voting

BY CARA HOST,     Observer-Reporter   03 May 2005 

WAYNESBURG ? Even after the UniLect Patriot voting machines, which were previously used in Greene County, failed two recent examinations, local officials remain advocates of the touch-screen system.

The Pennsylvania Department of State decertified the system April 7, after it failed an examination in February. Similar problems were encountered during a second test April 22, so the state refused to lift its ban of the UniLect machines.

"I still say the UniLect system has served us well," said Frances Pratt, Greene County director of elections. "I believe that every vote properly cast was counted."

The state could re-examine the UniLect system again, but only if UniLect Corp. requests it.

"We would work it out just like any other vendor that asks us to consider their system for certification," said Brian McDonald, spokesman for the Department of State.

Greene, along with Beaver and Mercer counties, used the UniLect machines and all three will implement an optical-scan, paper ballot method for the May 17 primary.

The state will reimburse the counties for the costs to set up the new system. In Greene, the cost to print the paper ballots and rent the optical scan machines to count the votes is about $29,000.

The relatively high, ongoing costs for the optical scan was one of the reasons behind the county's decision to adopt an electronic voting system in the first place. In 1998, Greene County purchased about 95 UniLect machines for $318,000. After the initial purchase, however, the cost to ready the machines for an election became minimal, said Commissioner Pam Snyder.

In the long term, if Greene County decides to purchase another electronic voting system, it could use federal grant money through the Help America Vote Act. Greene, Beaver and Mercer counties may qualify for $8,000 per precinct, since those counties are required to adopt a new voting system. But state and federal authorities are still trying to determine whether those counties are entitled to the grants.

"We're just trying to get through the primary. After we do that, then we'll look into new machines," Snyder said.

The UniLect machines have been criticized for allegedly causing a disproportionate number of undervotes in the three counties that use the system.

Undervotes occur when a voter fails to cast a ballot for a certain office. The statewide average of undervoting is 1.49 percent. But, according to a Grove City College study, the undervote rate in Mercer was 7.29 percent; in Beaver, 5.25 percent; and in Greene, 4.5 percent.