Altmann Supports Paper Ballot Optical Scanner Voting Machines

Manhasset Press    22 September 2005
Nassau County Legislator Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck), announced her support for Paper Ballot Optical Scanner (PBOS) voting machines to become part of Nassau County's movement to comply with the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Altmann was joined by New York State Assemblyman Chuck Lavine; the Long Island Progressive Coalition; the League of Women Voters; Democracy for Long Island; and Reachout America,

By next year's primary election, Nassau County, like all New York State counties, will be required to upgrade its voting technologies and replace the old lever voting machines with one of two machines: ATM-style touch screen Direct Record Electronic (DRE) machines or PBOS voting machines.

Altmann urged her fellow Nassau lawmakers to demand the purchase of the PBOS voting booths because, unlike DRE machines where votes will be recorded and counted on a computer, they cannot be tampered with or hacked. Optical scanning systems have also proven to be less costly.

According to the Long Island Progressive Coalition, DRE machines are also known to be riddled with problems including failing to record ballots, tabulating results incorrectly, registering the incorrect choice, adding votes, subtracting votes and even malfunctioning to the point of requiring a new election. Precinct-based optical scan systems have been used for over 20 years and are proven dependable.

"The Paper Ballot Optical Scanner voting machines are the most reliable option for our residents," Altmann said. "Optical scanners are also a better choice for those who are visually impaired and are more user-friendly for our residents, particularly our older voters, who not used to using a computer. Filling out a paper ballot is as easy as filling out a standardized test or a lottery card and almost everyone in New York knows how to do that."