Officials split over voting machines
Debate centers on electronic devices vs. paper ballot optical scanners
Friday, August 26, 2005
By SALLIE OWEN     Mobile Register 

ORANGE BEACH Frustrated by delays at the state level, Mobile County Commission President Mike Dean said Thursday that the county should switch to paper ballots read by optical scanners at least for next year's elections.

He said the current machines cannot be used in 2006 because of federal election reforms, and the county cannot keep waiting to start the conversion.

"We've just got to get through this next election cycle," said Dean, who has worked on the problem during the state Association of County Commissions annual meeting this week in Orange Beach. 
 Meanwhile, Commissioner Sam Jones said he favors some sort of electronic voting system, similar to machines used in Mobile for nearly two decades.

"We'd be going backward," he said of a potential switch to paper ballots. "We have had a tremendous amount of success with electronic machines."

The existing system has produced no complaints, Jones said, adding that it is simple for voters to use. "I've never seen a complaint about whether the machines properly counted the votes," he said.

After Tuesday's municipal election, Jones said results were released quickly. He said federal deadlines for changing machines should be extended before the county is forced into a bad decision.

Another wrinkle is Jones' candidacy for mayor of Mobile. He got the most votes Tuesday and faces a Sept. 13 runoff. If Jones becomes mayor, he would have to resign from the commission.

Commissioner Stephen Nodine called for more information. "Until I see all the data, I don't want to make a decision," he said.

Nodine said he was willing to be patient with the pair of state committees charged with approving voting systems. The panels have not said what machines will meet all state and federal requirements.

"It's difficult to do that with changing technology and the changing electoral process," he said.

Party primaries are scheduled for June 6 next year, followed by runoffs June 27 and a general election Nov. 7. Offices including the governor and state Supreme Court chief justice will be on ballots, along with all 140 positions in the state Legislature and scores of local posts.

Probate Judge Don Davis, who is the county's top election official, did not return calls Thursday. His office gets funding from the County Commission.
Numerous election reforms are under way in Alabama and across the country to comply with the 2002 Help America Vote Act nicknamed HAVA. Congress passed the act after voting irregularities in the 2000 presidential election. Alabama voters endured similar uncertainty in 2002, when changing Baldwin County vote tallies cast doubt on a tight governor's race.

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.

Voters in Montgomery and DeKalb counties have been using the same kind of touch-panel voting machines as Mobile. Officials there have already de cided to convert to paper ballots read by optical scanners. Mobile officials have been hoping to avoid going back to paper ballots. Both Dean and Jones tout cost savings as a factor in favor of their preferred approach.

Dean said that with optical scanners the county could re duce the number of polling places, machines and poll workers. Mobile would have to get a local bill approved in the Legislature before it could change the ratio of machines to registered voters, he said.

Jones said printing paper ballots can be a "tremendous" expense.