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The Post-Standard

Electronic voting opposed at budget hearing

Touch-screen machines "a disaster," says speaker at session on county fiscal plan.

October 5, 2006

By Pam Greene, Staff writer

About 60 people attended the Onondaga County public hearing to discuss the proposed budget Wednesday night. Almost everyone who spoke during the public comment portion said electronic voting machines should not replace paper ballots.

Several of them held signs and some sang songs denouncing the computerized voting system.

Members of the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters, and a group of women dressed up in flowered hats and called "the Raging Grannies," all spoke out against the computerized voting machines that have touch-screens.

"I'm electronically challenged," said "Raging Granny" Margaret Rusk. "I am just concerned that when I try to cast my vote, something's going to screw up."

Speakers cited reports of computer glitches in the systems and said the computers are vulnerable to hacking and fraud.

"We need to have a voting system that's verifiable," said Mary Cunningham. "We can't afford to allow our voting system to be degraded."

Lenore Rapalski, of the League of Women Voters, said the computerized screens known as direct recording electronic machines, or DREs are too expensive.

"DREs are a disaster," said John Langan. "There will be lawsuits galore, long lines and machines rebooting."

The machines work similar to ATMs. But with automated teller machines, banks expect millions of dollars in fraud. With democracy, he said, there should always be a paper trail ensuring everyone's vote is properly cast.

Pam Greene can be reached at pgreene@syracuse.com or 470-3033.