Mercer clerk calls for voting probe  (NJ)
ANDREW KITCHENMAN   The Times Of Trenton   04 March 2008

TRENTON Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello has called for an independent investigation into whether the county's voting machines made errors in the Feb. 5 presidential primary.

Sollami-Covello, who counts and certifies election results, made the request to county Superintendent of Elections Bettye Monroe, who maintains the machines, which are made by California-based Sequoia Voting Systems.

"You have to take every precaution when it comes to ensuring voting accuracy," Sollami-Covello said.

The county clerks of Union and Bergen counties made similar requests in response to statewide discrepancies in voter turnout by party affiliation.

Sequoia officials have said the miscounts were caused by worker errors, but Sollami-Covello said she wants an independent group or company to investigate how it happened.

"I don't believe that Sequoia can necessarily be objective," said Sollami-Covello, who added that it's up to Monroe whether to have an independent investigation. She also said the state county clerks association is considering further action.

Monroe said she would follow the direction of the state Attorney General's Office and wouldn't request an independent investigation herself.

Mercer County has given control panels from each affected voting machine to Sequoia for the company to review.

"I'm confident that Sequoia is going to do the right thing," Monroe said.

The Attorney General's Office has asked Sequoia to provide more information on why the errors occurred, said spokesman David Wald. It also has asked county officials to confirm the explanation that Sequoia has offered by attempting to replicate the mistake on the machine.

According to Sequoia, workers didn't follow the proper procedure when pressing voters' party affiliation on the control panels. The result was a mismatch, by one or two voters per machine, between the total Democratic and Republican ballots cast as tabulated by the machine and the party totals recorded. As many as 30 of the county's 600 machines were affected.

Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Dist.), who has been a leader on voting integrity issues in the House, commended Sollami-Covello yesterday for requesting an investigation.

"I believe the county clerk is correct that there are problems with the machines that call for an investigation," he said in a statement. "However, because there have been confirmed or suspected problems around the country, it is important that New Jersey takes steps before the June primary and at least before the November election to ensure that each voter can verify on paper that the vote is recorded properly and that procedures are in place for a random audit."

Mercer County Freeholder Tony Mack also expressed concern. He said the county should examine "more satisfactory options" for elections than the current machines.

A Hamilton poll worker offered another explanation for the discrepancies yesterday.

Mario J. Brescio Jr., who worked at the District 49 polls at Kisthardt Elementary School, said some voters left the booth without voting after the poll worker pressed their party affiliation on the machine. Since the machine doesn't allow the workers to cancel the party affiliation, the workers would let the next voter of the same party use the machine.