County election board makes choice in voting machines
By JOHN BOYCE    Mount Vernon News    02 September 2005

MOUNT VERNON ? Knox County?s first choice in voting machines is the ES&S Direct Read Electronic Touch Screen system.

Ohio?s counties have until Sept. 15 to inform the Secretary of State?s office of their first and second choices of voting machines. The Secretary of State must be informed by Nov. 15 of the counties? final choice.

In its meeting Thursday, the Knox County Board of Elections made its ions. The ES&S Precinct Optical Scan is the county?s second choice. If for some reason the ES&S DRE Touch Screen system does not obtain certification for use in Ohio by Nov. 15, the second choice ES&S POS system becomes the county?s final choice, according to Rita Yarman, Knox County Board of Elections director.

Election board members Tom McHugh, William Moody and Bill Eagon approved the certification of petitions for four local option issues, as well as the candidates? petitions for township, village and board of education positions. The election board will compile the listing of candidates and ballot issues for release next week.

The petitions for three candidates and one local option were not approved due to technical noncompliance issues. On two petitions the candidate?s address did not match the address reflected on voter registration documentation at the board of elections; on one candidate?s petition one individual had signed two different names on the petition; and on the local option petition the form had not been filled out completely, as required by the state, prior to the people signing the petitions.

On the recommendation of Knox County Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Springer, the BOE members approved a motion to dismiss Knox County from the recently settled voting machine law suit ?upon journalization of the settlement.? Springer will notify Yarman when the journalization occurs.