Bill would require paper ballot with electronic vote

By Anita Weier     The Capital Times
August 1, 2005

  Legislators from both political parties have authored a bill that would require that electronic voting machines in Wisconsin produce a paper ballot that could be reviewed by the voter and that would be kept in case a recount is needed.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, Rep. Steve Freese, R-Dodgeville, and Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, are circulating the bill among fellow legislators in the hope of obtaining co-sponsors.

According to a summary by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, the bill provides that if a municipality uses an electronic voting machine, the machine must generate a complete paper ballot showing all votes cast by each elector. The bill would allow a voter to verify his or her votes and would allow a manual recount of each vote cast, the Reference Bureau summary said.

A similar bill passed the Assembly last session.

"One thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that as we enter a new era in voting equipment, we must continue to have faith in our election process," Freese said in a written statement. "Requiring a paper trail is a simple check to make sure the new technology works as it should."
  
 
Freese added that he hopes when the State Elections Board meets on Wednesday that the board will consider the potential law when it considers electronic voting equipment options under the Help America Vote Act. The Elections Board budgeted $18 million in federal funds to purchase the new equipment.

"Since this is one-time federal dollars, it is very important that the Elections Board does the right thing and directs that the new equipment have paper ballots," Pocan said.

"While our bill would require this, there is a chance that the board could spend millions on equipment that the Legislature would ban if the bill passes."

Many constituents have contacted legislators about the need for a paper trail for electronic voting machines, Pocan said.

After the November 2004 elections, there were reports of problems with new paperless touch voting screens in some states.

"Without a paper ballot, how comfortable can a person feel that their vote will be counted?" asked Plale. "Not only is a paper ballot an audit of the new technology, but it also gives comfort that a voter actually witnesses their vote being counted."

George Dunst, legal counsel for the Elections Board, said that state law already requires a paper record, not a paper ballot. "I would prefer a paper ballot," he said.

Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the Elections Board, said most of the existing equipment is paper-driven. "One piece of equipment before the board Wednesday from Populex has a paper ballot, but we are recommending it not be approved for other reasons," he said. "It has some problems in the way it sets up elections for the state. The biggest concern would be that it presents the voter with a choice that says Independent Ticket. That is not a viable choice in Wisconsin. A straight party vote for independent would not make sense."

The Elections Board will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in room 413 North in the State Capitol.