http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=442850&category=OPINION&newsdate=1/24/2006

First published: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Enough time to switch to accessible ballots

Brad Williams makes several errors in his article, "Election reform must include state's disabled" (Times Union, Jan. 15).

New York will not be in violation of federal requirements for voting systems until the first federal election this year. Between now and then, we have plenty of time for compliance if we switch to "PBOS" -- paper ballots, optical scanners and accessible ballot-marking devices for voters with disabilities and minority languages.

In 2003, the city of Boston converted from lever voting machines to PBOS in less than four months. Arizona used the AutoMark accessible ballot-marker last year with complete success, and voters with disabilities across the country have been praising it as the most accessible voting device they ever used. The new inexpensive Vote-PAD ballot-marker is a nonelectronic alternative.

Why suggest that the disabled sell their voting rights for a tax break? I invite Mr. Williams to join the many New Yorkers demanding that our counties switch to accessible, easy-to-manage, secure, low-cost, low-tech PBOS. It's available now.

TERESA HOMMEL

Chairwoman

Task Force on Election Integrity

Community Church of New York

New York City

Copyright 1996-2006, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.