Voting machine issue worrisome for Carper

Matthew Thompson    Charleston Daily Mail June 03, 2005

 Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper is worried the county will not have a new kind of voting machine in place by the national deadline of Jan. 1, 2006.

At a meeting last week, the Secretary of State's office told county officials it would be November before the state is ready to let counties choose between types of machine.

Under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, every state must abandon dated punch card and lever systems and have newer technology such as optical scan and touch-screen machines in place by the first of the year.

Carper said meeting the deadline might become a serious problem.

"We're going to hear in November and have a few days to make a decision on the cost of machines and what they choose before it's enacted in January," Carper said. "I believe that's too tight of a schedule."

Ben Beakes, Secretary of State Betty Ireland's chief of staff, said November is the earliest a decision can be made on the vendors who will supply the new machines. The office over the next few months plans to work with various vendors to decide who can supply the best machines to the 55 counties in the state.

"The request for purchase on the machines is a long, detailed process," Beakes said. "The secretary is fully aware of the problems these counties are having, but we have to be very careful when we craft this. "

Beakes said Ireland has been in contact with the National Association of Secretary of States and the United States Election Assistance Commission about the worries over the January due date.

But the federal government is not moving on this deadline, Beakes said.

"We are all stuck in this deadline together," Beakes said. "Everybody in all the 50 states are on a tight schedule, but we think we can work it out."

Carper said the county commission has set aside $900,000 for voting machines. While officials are leaning toward touch-screen machines, Carper said he's still looking to make sure which one is the best for the voter.

"We have to look at the best voter-verifiable machine for the county," Carper said. "With a county as large as this one, we have to make sure it keeps a good paper trail and makes the voter feel comfortable."

Under the Secretary of State's plan, it will pay the total cost for counties that decide to go with optical scan machines. Counties that choose touch-screen machines can get interest-free loans of up to 50 percent of the cost.

Both machines provide paper trails and are compliant under the Help America Vote Act, Beakes said.

Carper plans to follow the issue closely.

"I will put this issue on every commission agenda until it is resolved," Carper said. "This is a huge decision to make, and I think this deadline will be a serious issue."