The Frugal Voting Solution For New York

In many places around the world, including modern industrialized nations like Canada, and in quite a few states within the USA, paper ballots are used for all elections. Paper ballots seem alien to New Yorkers primarily because we are accustomed to the large lever machines which we have been voting on for more than fifty years. The number of New York citizens who voted before the introduction of the lever machines is probably quite small. And so, it is not surprising that most of our election officials and many of our elected leaders approach the voting machine replacement decision predisposed to buying some sort of new machine. Given today’s technology, this predisposition translates as electronic voting machines.

There are a variety of electronic voting machines available. The ones which might comply with New York State requirements are all expensive. Firm prices have not been announced by the vendors but estimates range from eight to ten thousand dollars apiece. It is expected that the lever machines would have to be replaced by electronic machines on a one to one ratio. At this rate the Help America Vote Act funds New York will receive will not cover the full cost of electronic voting machines. Jurisdictions choosing to buy electronic voting machines will probably consolidate election districts to reduce expenditures*. We can expect this will result in some citizens being inconvenienced and dissatisfied. But this does not have to be.

Consider that practically every polling place now in use has a ready availability of folding tables and chairs. And all that is needed to turn these ubiquitous items into “voting machines” is the addition of privacy screens. For as little as twenty dollars a six foot folding table can be transformed into four or five voting stations with the addition of plastic sign board privacy panels fastened with self-adhesive hook and loop (Velcro) fasteners. The Town of Wilton, ME chose to build their voting booths out of wood shelves hinged to the wall and curtains for privacy. They have ten or twelve stations at the one polling place which serves a population of 4300. The folding table design suggested above is so inexpensive that each of our polling places could easily have three tables providing fifteen stations. What luxury.

About that luxury; most citizens are probably not aware that there is a time limit imposed for voting on the lever machine. I believe it is 3 minutes and it is established as a matter of rule by the Board of Elections. The BOE is considering a five minute limit for the new electronic machines**. For some people, especially for the elderly considering the unfamiliarity and complexity of the new machines, that five minute limit will become a problem. But that doesn’t have to be either.

Using the folding table voting stations model and voting on paper ballots, the voting citizen enters the polling place, signs in as we have always done, and then is given a ballot. The voter takes a seat at any vacant voting station and then can leisurely mark her ballot in peaceful anxiety-free privacy, taking as long as is needed. One voting station at each polling place will have a ballot marking device to accommodate disabled or infirm voters. A sample ballot can be posted right in the voting station with instructions for marking the ballot or writing in a candidate. Upon leaving the voting station the voter deposits their ballot in the ballot box or in the ballot scanner.

Could it be any easier or economical?

* Schoharie County election officials have a tentative plan to replace our 66 lever machines with 40 electronic machines. Presented by Deputy Commissioner A. Hendrix at the July 2005 meeting of the Rules & Legislation Committee.

** Commissioner L. Wilson at the same meeting. Provided by the Peacemakers of Schoharie County, PO Box 214, Cobleskill, NY 12043