http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN42120505.htm
Daytona Beach News Journal editorial
December 5, 2005
Later this month, the Volusia County Council has an ugly
decision to make.
County officials face a Jan. 1 deadline to buy
handicapped-accessible voting machines. They can opt for touch-screen equipment
manufactured by Diebold (the same company that makes the elections equipment
the county already owns) but that don't produce paper ballots. Or they can scrap
the entire system and turn to a Diebold competitor, Election Systems &
Software.
Bad faith on the part of state officials seems to be forcing
the county toward the second, more expensive purchase -- the option Council Chairman
Frank Bruno already advocates. Council members have a right to be furious at
state election officials' reluctance to certify more reliable machines.
There's a case to be made for defying federal and state
mandates and taking the matter to court. The county stands to lose $700,000 in federal
money if it doesn't meet the deadline set by the Help America Vote Act, but
it's less than the county would spend to buy any handicapped-accessible system.
The next election will be nine and a half months away by the time the council
meets to discuss elections equipment, so there's time -- just barely -- to seek
an injunction forcing the state to approve a paper-ballot system.
A lawsuit would force state officials to explain why they're
forcing counties to buy non-verifiable and four-times-more-expensive touch-screen
systems. Respected experts like long-term Leon County Supervisor of Elections
Ion Sancho say they have no doubt that state officials dragged their heels
approving a paper-ballot system, and they should be required to justify their
reluctance.
If the suit failed, the county would still have time to buy
machines for voters with handicaps.
But the council may balk at declaring war on Florida's
Department of State the week before Christmas. A more reasonable -- though very
expensive -- choice is to buy the ES&S system for up to $2.5 million. The
deal would initially provide touch-screens for voters with handicaps, but would
include Automark, a device that allows voters with a wide variety of handicaps
to mark paper ballots. If the state doesn't approve Automark, ES&S agrees
to take its system back and refund the county's money.
Ironically, the Automark system would work with the Diebold
Accuvote systems the county uses now, but elections advocates say Diebold has threatened
to sue any county that uses Automark-created ballots with Diebold ballot
scanners.
Beyond the heavy-handedness, there are reasons council
members should reject the Diebold touch-screen system. The machine does assist
blind voters, but it's of less use to those who can't use hands or a mouthstick
to register their votes.
Most important, voters have no way to ensure their vote is
cast the way they intend. Tests in other states show significant failure rates
in the touch-screen systems Diebold is peddling, so accuracy is a concern.
Even during the 2000 election debacle, Volusia officials
defended elections accuracy by rushing to complete paper-ballot recounts. Council
members have already rejected the Diebold touch-screen system for handicapped
voters, citing concerns over the lack of a paper trail.
This is no time to back down. Volusia County voters -- with
handicaps or without -- deserve a fair, reliable balloting system. For now, it looks
as if the ES&S system is the best option.
© 2005 News-Journal Corporation
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