http://www.poststar.com/story.asp?storyid=220146

Video report: Voting officials get look at new machines

By DAVID IMAN II, diman@poststar.com

Updated: 4/28/2006 10:02:41 AM

GLENS FALLS -- Mary Iannaccone had an unfamiliar view of potential new voting machines on display at the Glens Fall Civic Center on Thursday.

A leg injury will keep the seven-year Granville election inspector in a wheelchair until sometime this summer, so she appreciated the fact that of a half-dozen options presented, all were accessible to those with disabilities.

The machines were put on display by private companies hoping to win the right to replace the state's decades-old, lever-action voting machines.

For the video report, you can go here. [WheresThePaper.org – the video is no longer available, 6/1/06]

Iannaccone chose her favorite based on how similar its ballot layout was to that of conventional voting machines.

"It's not that complicated," she said. "It is so much like the old one."

She liked the tabletop model made by Liberty Election Systems, of Albany.

Unlike other free-standing units, the Liberty model sits on a table and folds into a large suitcase about 4 feet long and 6 inches wide for transportation and storage. The other machines were mounted on wheels and had to be rolled around.

From the perspective of a voter, Iannaccone said she liked the fact that Liberty's model did not use a flat-panel computer touch screen.

"It was familiar when I went up to it," said Imagene McRoberts, also an election inspector from Granville.

She also chose Liberty's model as her favorite.

Iannaccone and McRoberts were concerned that older voters would be intimidated by the computer touch screens, not only because they look different, but because during the voting process, the screen at times switched away from a view of the ballot to give the voter directions.

Companies also showed voters paper ballot readers and computer-based machines that filled out paper ballots for voters.

The price of the units ranged from $4,000 to $11,000.

Some of the smaller machines that are tailored for individuals with disabilities could be in use this November.

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