Bill would require all electronic voting machines to verify votes have been recorded correctly

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

By Matt King   Gilroy Dispatch

Gilroy - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering whether to sign into law a bill that would require election officials to create a paper trail to audit the results of electronic voting.

The bill, SB 370, authored by State Senator Debra Bowen, (D-Redondo Beach), would build upon an existing law that requires all electronic voting machines used as of 2006 to produce a paper trail that voters can use to verify that their votes have been recorded correctly.

SB 370 would force election officials to use the paper trail to conduct the standard 1 percent manual recount required by state law.

Currently, electronic records are used to meet that requirement, which is intended to ensure accuracy.

?The 1 percent manual count law ... can?t be complied with,? Bowen has said. ?Election officials have begun relying on the electronic machine?s own tally to do the manual count, which only serves to undermine the law designed to provide an independent audit of California?s election results.?

The governor has not taken a position on the bill, but the California Association of Clerks & Elections Officials is opposed to the law on the grounds that it will drive up the cost of elections without being fail-safe.

Santa Clara County Registrar Jesse Durazo, however, said Tuesday that the law likely would not have significant financial consequences for his office because full recounts are financed by the candidate or jurisdiction that request them.

?The association does not express views for Santa Clara County,? Durazo said. ?I don?t have a whole lot of emotion one way or another. The 1 percent recount is an important activity to create voter confidence, but in terms of it being an onerous activity, I can?t assess how much more it would be because we haven?t done it.?

The county has used electronic voting machines since 2003, and already has in place the type of systems that will be required next year.

Beginning next year, voters will be able to check a hard copy of their electronic votes before the votes are finalized.

Durazo said that electronic voting has progressed seamlessly and allowed his office to announce final results just hours after polls close.

The result of this month?s special election for the San Jose City Council, for example, were announced two hours after polls closed.

?It?s been very successful, provided transparency, and been a major contribution to the ease of use,? Durazo said. ?The community has been very responsive.?