Partial recount vindicates San Diego voting machines     

Tallies nearly identical, says a county official
By Daniel J. Chac?n
San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE

August 24, 2005

Voting machines that critics have labeled unreliable work after all.

A partial recount yesterday to test the accuracy of scanners that read ballots and tallied votes in the San Diego mayor's race July 26 revealed results that were nearly identical to those of the machines.

"This is what you would expect in a properly conducted election," San Diego County Registrar of Voters Mikel Haas said. "I think the people of San Diego can take comfort, if they had doubts at all, about the conduct of the election."

Members of the group that asked and paid for the recount of about 30 of the city's 713 precincts said they still had doubts about a voting system that relies on computers.

Jerry Ewig of Democracy for America said the only voting system he deems reliable is one that uses paper ballots counted by hand.

"No machines," he said.

 The recount "does not prove the system is accurate and correct," said Ewig, who lives in Temecula. "We're still in need of a system that is verifiable and transparent to the people."

The recount was initiated by the group Citizens Audit Parallel Election, which staked out 11 precincts and asked people exiting the polls how they voted. The group said its tally differed from the official count by up to 4 percent.

The group asked for a recount on behalf of Councilwoman Donna Frye, who finished first and agreed to lend her name to the cause, said Hal Simon, her campaign office manager.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm confident in this election system because it works," said Simon, who has observed two mayoral race recounts since November. "This proves that if they (voters) do make the effort and go out and vote, their vote will count."

Haas denied a request to recount ballots for and against Proposition A, which asked voters if the federal government should take control of the Mount Soledad cross and city-owned land around it. Haas said the group asked only for a recount in the mayor's race and missed the deadline to request a recount of the proposition, which passed overwhelmingly.

The Registrar's Office counted the majority of the requested precincts yesterday and expects to finish today.