City expects easy switch to optical scan voting 
by Pat Murphy   Southfield Eccentric     29 July 2005

When Southfield voters go to the polls for the Sept. 13 primary election, they'll get their first working experience with the optical scan voting machines replacing the punch-card system.

"Voters might have seen one of the new M-100 Optical Scan Voting when they voted in the (May 3) school election," said city Clerk Nancy Banks. "And some might have cast a sample ballot.

"But this election (the primary) will be Southfield's first with optical scan voting," she said.

With the optical scan, voters express preference by using a pencil to fill an oval - rather than punching out a chad.

The city never had problems with pregnant or hanging chads - problems made famous in the 2000 presidential election in Florida - said Banks.

"That's because ballots were processed (and mistakes identified) at the precinct, rather than at a central location (as was the case in Florida)," she said.

"That's still the case," she said. "If voters make a mistake, it's detected immediately, so they can ask for another ballot."

Banks and her staff plan an extensive voter education program to assure that residents are ready for optical scan voting.

"But we're confident voters can handle it," she said. "Voters in other communities have made the transition without problems, and I'm sure people in Southfield can do the same."

Voters can see a video of the new M-100 Optical Scan Voting machines at the city clerk's Web Page: www.cityofsouthfield.com on the Internet.

In the primary and the Nov. 8 general election, voters will elect a mayor, clerk, treasurer and four city council members.

Incumbent Mayor Brenda Lawrence and Clerk Banks are unopposed, while five candidates are vying for treasurer. They are Devin Durrell, Irv M. Lowenberg, James B. Pierce, John E. Reeves and Demetria J. Taylor.

The top two vote-getters in will compete in the general election.

In the city council contest, nine candidates are competing. They are Roy T. Bell, Miriam Blanks-Smart, Donald F. Fracassi, Robert Kakos, Bill Lattimore, Ronald Palmquist, Joan Seymour, Kenson J. Siver and Linnie M. Taylor.

The top eight vote-getters will advance to the general election, with three elected to four-year terms, and one elected for two years.

The deadline for registering to vote is 5 p.m. on Aug. 15. About 61,400 voters are currently registered, and the clerk's office has already received more than 3,000 applications for absentee ballots.