Mobile County officials to lease voting equipment
Uncertainty about compliance with federal reforms leads to decision, county commission president says
Thursday, August 25, 2005
By SALLIE OWEN     Mobile Register

ORANGE BEACH Because of the continued uncertainty over what kind of voting machines will comply with federal reforms, Mobile County officials have decided to lease equipment for the 2006 elections instead of buying, Commission President Mike Dean said.

Commissioners from every county in the state will consider a resolution today urging a pair of state panels to tell officials what kind of machines can be used next year. About 500 people are attending the Association of County Commissions of Alabama convention, which wraps up in Orange Beach today.

"We're approaching a situation where we may not be able to lawfully conduct elections," said Buddy Sharpless, the association's executive director.
Most Alabama counties must only get enough new equipment to place a machine for disabled voters at each polling place to comply with federal reforms. But Mobile and two other counties must significantly upgrade or replace their whole systems.

Decisions are needed from the Electronic Voting Committee and Help America Vote Act Committee, according to a draft resolution that got preliminary approval Wednesday.

"Right now, it's kind of confusing," Dean said, "because I can't make a decision until they make a decision."

Mobile County owns about 450 machines that voters have been using since the mid-1980s, but Dean said those will not be acceptable next year. Other Mobile County officials have repeatedly expressed concern about the time remaining to equipment and then educate pollworkers and voters about the new system.

Voters in Montgomery and DeKalb counties have been using the same kind of touch-panel voting machines as Mobile. Officials there have already decided to convert to paper ballots read by optical scanners. Mobile officials have been hoping to avoid going back to paper ballots.

Lee County Probate Judge Bill English said he wants to schedule a meeting of the Electronic Voting Committee for early September. That group has been deadlocked 2-2 recently, and the tie could be broken if the often-absent fifth member, state Sen. Jeff Enfinger, D-Huntsville, attends.