http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=459639&category=OPINION&newsdate=3/13/2006

Paper ballots were found in studies to be the most reliable voting system

First published: Monday, March 13, 2006

In reply to your March 3 editorial, "Voting pressure": New York is late, but let's not look to the federal government's example to find a new and secure voting system to replace our lever machines.

An October 2005 report of the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that current federal standards and initiatives are ineffective and are unlikely to provide solutions to voting system problems in a timely fashion.

States that rushed to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act by the Jan. 1 deadline have run into operational failures in actual elections. The faulty voting systems acquired by these states had passed federal testing and certification procedures.

California: county incorrect electronic ballot; voters could not vote in certain races.

Pennsylvania: county electronic ballot error; 80 percent in some precincts had too few votes.

North Carolina: electronic memories were full, causing over 4,000 votes to be lost.

Florida: county touch screens took up to an hour to activate, resulting in long delays.

The GAO reported federal standards contain vague and incomplete security provisions. National improvement initiatives "either lack specific plans for implementation" or "are not expected to be completed until after the 2006 election."

This risks "that many state and local jurisdictions will rely on voting systems that were not developed, acquired, tested, operated, or managed in accordance with rigorous security and reliability standards -- potentially affecting the reliability of future elections."

Perhaps it is time for New York state to bring a counter suit against the federal government for not putting in place, in a timely manner, federal standards and procedures that would offer secure, accurate, recountable and accessible voting systems from which to choose.

Paper ballots were found in studies to be the most reliable voting system. Let's vote on paper ballots, which, together with a device for handicapped voters, is HAVA compliant.

WAYNE STINSON

Member, Peacemakers for Schoharie County Summ HY

Member, New York State League of Women Voters

Clifton Park