For now, paper ballots will stay

BY CARA HOST,    The Observer-Reporter    08 September 2005

WAYNESBURG ? Greene County voters will once again make their ions by paper ballot in the November general election.

The Board of Elections decided Wednesday to hire Election Systems and Software Inc. of Omaha, Neb. to print the ballots and to provide optical scan equipment for the Nov. 8 municipal election. The company provided the same services four months ago, for the primary election.

The county hired ES&S after the Department of State decertified the electronic voting system previously in use, the Unilect Patriot system, in April. For the spring primary, the state agreed to pay for the cost of the new systems that needed to be implemented in Greene, Mercer and Beaver, the counties that used Unilect.

A decision has not been reached about whether the state will pick up the tab for the November election. Greene County will send the state a bill, however.

"I feel confident they'll pay," Commissioner Pam Snyder said.

At the regular meeting today, commissioners are expected to approve an agreement with the Department of State that will reimburse the county $49,294.89. Frances Pratt, director of elections, said that is the exact amount that Greene County billed the state for additional costs associated with the primary election.

As for a permanent voting system, county officials have voiced a preference for a touch-screen, electronic method, similar to the Unilect system. However, since only one company has managed to obtain a certification from the state, the county has opted to wait before making any moves. Unilect is among a handful of other companies still awaiting the state's decision on certification.

Once the county makes a decision, money from the federal Help America Vote Act will help pay for the new system. Greene County should receive $8,000 for each of its 44 precincts, or $352,000.

In the primary, Greene County voters used paper ballots to make their ions. Optical-scan machines automatically tabulated the votes, but the process took considerably longer compared to the method offered through the Unilect system.

The Unilect machines were decertified after it failed two examinations. The system was also criticized for a seemingly high percentage of undervotes among the counties that used the machines.

In another matter, the election board approved a permanent change of polling place for Clarksville Borough. Voters there used to cast ballots in the Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church, but they will vote in the senior center in November.

Voters are reminded that the last day to register for the general election is Oct. 11.

Voters from the Franklin Township East precinct are reminded that they will vote in the bottom floor of the 4-H building at the fairgrounds, while the township building remains under construction.