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The Leader

Feb. 6, 2006

Voting deadline may be problem

By Mary Perham

Bath | Steuben County officials warn the federal voting reforms called for six years ago probably won't be in place by the fall election season.

The state Board of Elections is still studying what type of new voting machines to use and likely won't make a determination until March. That won't give county officials enough time to train election inspectors and inform the voting public on the new methods, county officials claim.

“We have significant concerns,” said county Adminis-trator Mark Alger.

“The training is very important, the voters need to be able to go in and physically see the new machines, get comfortable with them. We are very concerned about it.”

Federal funding for the Help America Vote Act is also a concern. Federal officials warned the state last year it would lose between $215 million and $219 million in federal aid unless voting reforms were in place by the September primaries.

Earlier this year, the federal Justice Department threatened to sue the state for the delay, but is reportedly now in discussion with the Board of Elections.

Alger said the county could lose about $1 million in federal aid, although state leaders such as state Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira, insist the counties will not be penalized by the state's delay.

New York was the last state in the country to enact the new voting laws after years of bipartisan bickering. The state Legislature approved the reforms on the last day of the 2005 session in July, passing the issue on to the state Board of Elections for review and public hearings.

“Unfortunately, the challenge for us is the timing,” said county Legislature Chairman Philip Roche, R-Erwin. “Quite honestly I don't see this happening.”

Training of election officials and the voting public is key to the success of the reforms, Roche said.

At public exhibits of the voting machines a number of senior citizens have objected to the new, computer-based technology. The idea that some seniors - traditionally a strong voting base - may stay away from the polls is alarming, officials said.

“We need an educational piece to overcome their fears, get familiar with them,” Roche said. “The flip side is the reforms open voting to everyone, including those with disabilities.”

Steuben County Democratic Election Commissioner Allan Johnson said the state board could not adequately consider the different types of machines and concerns about security, accuracy and accessibility in just a few months.

“They're working as fast as they can, but they have to do justice to it,” Johnson said. “There have been a lot of questions about (the style) of the machines, and then they have to be certified by both the feds and the state.”

HAVA was launched in the spring of 2000, after the deadlocked presidential race drew national attention to polling problems and inaccurate ballot counts. Although the original deadline for implementation was 2004, New York and other states were allowed to delay the complex overhaul for two more years.

By state law, the county Board of Elections took ownership of the current lever machines in mid-January, although the machines are expected to remain where they are.

“We're not planning on doing anything with them,” Alger said. “The way it's going, we may still need them in September or November.”

The Leader, 34 W. Pulteney St., Corning, NY 14830

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