Atlantic Beach tests paper ballots after ping voting machines

Associated Press    13 October 2005

 

ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. - Carteret County used the Atlantic Beach elections to test out its temporary return to paper ballots, and officials seemed satisfied with the results, especially after an embarrassing machine malfunction that left more than 4,000 votes uncounted.

A team of five poll workers needed about 2 1/2 hours hand counting the 399 ballots before the official results were recorded Tuesday.

"I think they did as good a job as they could have done," Carteret County Elections Director Lindy Lewis said.

The Carteret County Board of Elections abandoned its electronic touch-screen system last year after 10 years, when one of the machines lost the record of more than 4,000 ballots. The problem added doubt to several close statewide races and added fuel to lawsuits contesting results.

The county will use paper ballots until the state approves new guidelines on voting equipment and the county s a new system.

Carteret County hadn't used paper ballots since 1980, and the Atlantic Beach election allowed local elections officials a chance to test them out.

"I feel more comfortable myself today than I did yesterday (before the election)," Lewis said.