Clark makes last-minute push for voting machines

8/15/2005 11:25:52 PM
Daily Journal

BY LEESHA FAULKNER

TUPELO - Secretary of State Eric Clark set up his new voting machine wares Monday for the Lee County supervisors and sang the praises of joining in on the state purchase price, then he folded up his show and headed to Rolling Fork.

Next, Steve Evans, a representative from ES&S, made his pitch for touch-screen machines combined with optical scanners. He's been working statewide, too.

But Lee County's supervisors didn't decide. They'll wait until 4:30 p.m. Friday, 30 minutes before the deadline, to choose if they'll opt into the state's plan or go on their own.

Supervisors in all 82 of Mississippi's counties have received similar information about the machines. The Help America Vote Act requires all states to provide methods for second-chance voting and make voting more accessible for the handicapped. The deadline for states to comply is Jan. 1.

The machines must be ordered soon to meet federal requirements, Clark said, the reason for Friday's deadline.

"We don't have everybody here," said Tommie Lee Ivy, vice president for the Board of Supervisors, noting Charles Duke's absence, "and we need everybody here to make this decision. Friday at 4:30 is the best time for us to get together."

Clark brought Buck Jones, a representative from Diebold, with him for a 30-minute presentation. Diebold is Clark's choice to provide the machines. Jones and Clark guaranteed supervisors they'd get the best equipment at the best price.

"It's better than ice cream," Clark told supervisors. "This deal's fixing to happen and it's free."

At least 126 of the voting machines would be free for Lee, according to Clark. But the county would need more, and that's one reason for local concerns.

If all of the counties had chosen Clark's plan, the machines would have cost $2,900 each. Now, because some counties have chosen to go their own way, the price of the machine has risen.

Lee County has two options under Clark's plan: to go with 13 more touch-screen machines or to go with 45 more touch-screen machines.

Clark's office recommends that counties buy 10 percent more machines than the counties receive free to conduct the 2006 election for Congress. That election generally has a low voter turnout. After that election, he said, counties should evaluate the performance and adjust the number of machines.

But County Administrator Ronnie Bell has calculated that Lee will need 45 more machines.

Lee County has 45 Eagle Scanners manufactured by ES&S. They are 12 years old, said Circuit Clerk Joyce Loftin, and might get through one more election. The first ES&S option calls for refurbishing the present machines, adding Automark touch-screen machines to match the scanners, and interface or electronic connection with Clark's office system. The interface is needed because federal law calls for the Secretary of State's office to be the state's voter registration hub.

Refurbishing those machines isn't a good deal because of their age, Evans told supervisors Monday.

That leaves two alternatives.

Lee County could buy 45 M-100 scanners and 45 Ivotronic touch-screen machines. The scanners would allow people who don't have reading or marking restrictions to have their paper ballots, mark them and run them through the scanners.

The Ivotronic touch-screens would be portable to allow curbside voting. The touch-screens also would provide a way for blind people to vote with sound and Braille prompts.

Again, that's not the best deal, according to Evans.

If the county were to opt for the Automark machines, more voters with disabilities could participate. The machine provides higher contrast for colorblind voters; prompts for blind voters and a screen that could receive a head pointer for those who needed that system. The Automarks also have nine languages programmed. They have a sip and puff attachment for quadriplegic voters, Evans pointed out.