For Immediate Release

 

 

New Yorkers for Verified Voting to Release Voting Machine Cost Comparison

Press Conference Wednesday, April 13 at 11:00 AM in Room 130 of the Legislative Office Building.

 

 

New Yorkers for Verified Voting (NYVV) is releasing an analysis of the cost differences for New York State of two different types of voting equipment currently being considered for adoption to replace the state’s lever machines. The estimate compares the county by county cost of touch screen voting machines (DREs) versus a system comprised of hand marked paper ballots and precinct based optical scanners, augmented by ballot marking devices to provide accessible, private and independent voting for voters with disabilities.

 

Touch screen and pushbutton style DREs have been found to be error prone, impossible to recount, and extraordinarily expensive.  The NYVV cost estimate shows that the purchase cost of DREs exceeds the equivalent cost of precinct based optical scan systems by over 100 million dollars.

 

Optical scan systems have been used successfully in elections around the United States for over 20 years.  Currently used in nearly 30% of all the precincts in the US, the states of Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia have decided to use optical scanners to comply with the Help America Vote Act which mandates new voting machines for New York. 

 

·         “Optical scan voting systems are a reliable, mature, auditable and cost effective technology.” said Bo Lipari, Director of New Yorkers for Verified Voting.  “It’s a mistake for NY to spend over 200 million dollars on untested, unauditable, problem prone DREs, when a proven system like optical scanners can be adopted for a fraction of the purchase and maintenance costs.” said Lipari.

·         "Precinct-based optical scan voting machines with the addition of accessible ballot marking devices will satisfy Help America Vote Act requirements to replace lever voting machines in New York State," said Aimee Allaud, Elections Specialist, New York State League of Women Voters.  "The League supports optical scan systems because they meet our criteria of secure, accurate, recountable and accessible," said Ms. Allaud.

·         "The Sierra Club members who vote for environmentally minded political candidates want to make sure that every vote is counted.  That's why the Sierra Club supports paper ballot based optical scan voting systems - they're the most transparent, reliable, practical way to ensure that every vote counts." Said Sarah Kogel-Smucker, Legislative Associate from the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter.

·         The New York Times in an editorial said, “Albany should ignore lobbyists for high-priced voting machines and come out strongly for optical-scan machines”. 

For detailed information on Paper Ballot/Optical Scan voting systems please visit: www.nyvv.org

CONTACT: 

Bo Lipari :  email: bolipari@nyvv.org