Undecideds lead voting machine tally

8/10/2005 7:25:37 AM
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

BY LEESHA FAULKNER
What you know about the new touch-screen depends on the story: The Diebold machines work fine. Other states have rejected the Diebold touch-screen voting machines because they crash. The state didn't give counties enough time to consider. The Diebold machines don't meet all handicap standards.

A majority of Mississippi's county supervisors and administrators are undecided on whether to join Secretary of State Eric Clark in his contract for uniform touch-screen voting machines because they keep getting conflicting information.

The deadline is almost a week out, Aug. 19. The score: 31 counties have opted in, and none has given an unequivocal no to the proposal.

That leaves 51 counties undecided.

"We need more time," said Lee County Administrator Ronnie Bell. "We're learning more every day about this issue."

Lee County wants until Oct. 3 to weigh all its information. It has asked Clark's office for an extension but hasn't received an answer.

Bell seems to represent what other county administrators in the region say. County officials don't know what to think. They have questions, and the answers they've received haven't proved satisfying.

For instance, the plan under which Clark will disperse the free touch-screen machines doesn't provide enough for some counties. Free doesn't appear so free, said Lee County Supervisor Phil Morgan of District 1.

Lee County will receive 126 machines under Clark's plan. Supervisors likely will have to buy 20-30 more machines to handle voting at each precinct. At an estimated $3,200 per machine, the county will have to fork over $64,000 for the base number of 20.

Sales pitch'?

District 2 Supervisor Bobby Smith sees Clark's promise of free voting machines as "as sales pitch. That's just not true."

Lafayette County officials have concerns that run along the same lines. "If we opt in," said Lafayette County Administrator Richard Copp, "we receive a certain number of machines, but that number is not sufficient to cover our precincts without large, long lines."

Lafayette County will receive about 65 machines under the state plan. It would have to purchase another 40. Total costs for adding the machines, according to Copp's computations: $120,000. Supervisors don't know where they'll find the money.

Costs also concern Union County officials, who haven't opted in or out yet. Under the state plan, Union County will receive 47 machines. It'll have to buy 34 more to provide enough for voters. That means more than $90,000.

"There's going to be a lot of additional costs," said Terry Johnson, Union County administrator, "and the counties have to come up with that money."

Other groups don't worry so much about the cost to taxpayers as they do unfettered access to the ballot box. On Monday, Ken Loden, who is blind, pleaded with Lee County supervisors not to opt out on the Diebold touch-screen machines.

The machines have touch screens, but they also have earphones and a touch-dial apparatus for blind people or people who can't read. This eliminates someone's going into the voting booth with them to help them vote.

Recently Loden tested the machines touted by Clark. "We found it to be very friendly, compatible with all the others," he said.