Residents: New voting system needs paper trail
GINA ZOTTI    Chester Daily Local   11/20/2005
 
 WEST GOSHEN County residents urged the Voting System Task Force to pick a voting machine that would produce a paper trail.

"Reject the purchase of electronic voting machines if there?s not a voter verifiable paper receipt," said Elizabeth Thomas of East Bradford, at a public hearing on Friday night. "Let?s not give our electorate another reason to stay home on Election Day."

Thomas was one of about 50 residents who attended the hearing set up for voters to voice their concerns or opinions about which new voting system the county should buy when it abandons its punch-card system due to new state and federal regulations.

Congress ordered national changes in voting standards after problems in the 2000 presidential election.

While a majority of the speakers emphasized the need for the paper trail, many expressed that they were not willing to move to a computer voting machine or leave the punch-card system.

"If you take the human touch away, you put your trust into a system that?s hackable," said Rick Davis. "If it ain?t broke, don?t fix it."

A few of the speakers, who said they had background in the computer programming field, expressed their distrust in keeping computer voting systems uncorrupted.

Jana Nestlerode, a West Chester University professor of criminal justice, said she and her students conducted research on a variety of electronic voting machines.

"What we discovered is nothing short of alarming," said Nestlerode. "What we found is that there is no way to assure that these machines have not and will not be programmed in such a way as to ensure a predetermined outcome."

Pat Splane, of West Goshen, urged the committee to only choose a system when a pre-audit of the system confirms each ballot will be accurately recorded and counted.

"The standard for accuracy and secrecy in recording and counting ballots is met by the mechanical-lever voting machine and by the system currently used in Chester County," Splane said. "Neither has a ballot trail. Any replacement voting system must meet this standard for recording and counting ballots. Mechanical-lever voting machines eliminate the need for a ballot trail because the accuracy of recording and counting each vote is pre-audited."

One speaker suggested the committee look at a neighboring county?s voting system for guidance.

"Montgomery County has had an electronic system for five or six years," said Lynne Carroll, of West Chester. "Look at that system."

Dorothea Cook, representing the League of Women Voters, said the organization wants the county to look at the entire voting process, not just the machines.

She asked that more machines be added to polling places that experienced long lines in previous elections and that a large-scale voter education initiative be put in place to inform residents of the new machines and how to use them.

Members of the task force were appointed by the county commissioners to make a recommendation on which system to buy, if any at all.

Task force members include Anne Suss, League of Women Voters; Susan Yanik, Democratic judge of elections; Janet Elling, Republican judge of elections; Joel Frank, Republican Party representative; Richard Winchester, Democratic Party representative; and Linda Cummings, the director of county voter services.

Elling was not present at Friday?s meeting.

The county has set aside $6 million in next year?s budget for new voting machines. The county would be reimbursed $1.784 million by the state.

The county commissioners are also awaiting a report from the solicitor?s office regarding any legal issues surrounding the mandated deadline.

"It?s better to say ?no? and not waste the $6 million," Commissioner Andrew Dinniman said at Thursday?s county commissioners? meeting. "If we just have to do the letter of HAVA (Help America Vote Act), we destroy the spirit of HAVA.

"They can take their money and keep it," he added. "They can take it and shove it where the sun don?t shine."

Commissioner Carol Aichele said the county will try to provide a system that will best serve the voters of Chester County and still act lawfully.

"But, if not, we have the right to go to the court," said Dinniman.

At a recent meeting of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes told a questioning commissioner from another county that if even one county were to not follow the mandate by the deadline, it would endanger the potential reimbursement from all of the counties in the commonwealth, said County Director of Administration Mark Rupsis, who attended that meeting.

The federally-set Jan. 1 deadline is not expected to be extended, said Brian McDonald, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State.

"We understand the situation the counties are in as well," he said. "We?re in a pinch here, too. We can?t pass out certifications left and right. We have to make sure voting systems meet Pennsylvania statutes."

In addition, he said part of the hold up on state certifications is that some systems are still pending its federal certification.

He wouldn?t say what types of consequences counties could suffer by not signing a contract to buy or lease a certified system by the deadline.

"We?re not worrying about crossing that bridge right now," he said. "We?re trying to make sure we get the examinations wrapped up and certifications issued. ..It?s not an issue we?re discussing."