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The Journal News

Ballot access only part of the issue

(Original publication: April 12, 2006)

The March 25 editorial, "Win one, lose another," had a laudable intent: New York state's disabled voters — indeed, all voters — deserve access to the ballot box. The editorial falls short, though, on the facts and on identifying the ultimate goal of all citizens, disabled or not, on this issue.

Federal law does not require electronic voting. The only requirement is that voters with disabilities are able to mark their ballot independently, and in private. The Automark, a ballot-marking device that enables voters with most disabilities to mark a paper ballot in complete privacy, is the best choice for this. Unlike electronic systems, which exist only in prototype, the Automark is ready for implementation today. The ultimate goal of a voting system for any citizen should not stop at access to the ballot box. Such access, while essential, is meaningless if the vote is not recorded accurately. If not recorded accurately, the vote will not be counted accurately no matter how high-tech the system.

Other states' experience has shown that the "electronic" ballot box is broken. Access cards fail to work, ballots are lost, voluminous election day errors occur — all because of the use of electronic voting. New York should be carefully evaluating these disasters and trying to avoid duplicating them. And most disability rights organizations realize that while a disability should not deny an individual access to the ballot box, that access should not be at the cost of having their vote accurately counted.

Margaret Yonco-Haines, Garrison