County one step closer to buying voting machines

Activist groups find actions hasty

By Laura Morsch, Camera Staff Writer
January 30, 2004

Boulder County is one step closer to buying a new voting system, and some local groups are objecting.

Boulder County commissioners unanimously approved a motion Thursday to allow the county clerk to negotiate a contract with voting-machine vendor Hart InterCivic Inc.

An itemized pricing guide provided by the company showed that the cost to the government could top $1 million.

Neil McClure, vice president of Hart's election solutions group, gave a demonstration of the voting system, which requires voters to mark paper ballots. The ballots are later scanned into a computer.

McClure said the Hart computer has features that help flag possible voter-intent problems, highlighting a ballot on a screen if too many or too few boxes are marked.

"We very precisely look at every voter response area and determine whether there is or is not a mark there," he said.

County Clerk Linda Salas said the Hart system will save time and money by allowing the county to under-print ballots, because more paper ballots can quickly be printed if a high voter turnout creates additional demand for ballots.

But Al Kolwicz, executive director of Citizens for Accurate Mail Ballot Election Results, said the decision to pursue the Hart system came too hastily and without enough public input.

Kolwicz said Salas and McClure dodged questions about the Hart system's ability to address important absentee ballot issues, including signature verification and detecting multiple or misplaced ballots.

"They're being secretive because they don't have the answers to the hard questions," Kolwicz said.

Under the federal Help America Vote Act, signed into law in 2002, punch-card systems like the one currently used by Boulder County must be replaced by 2006.

The 2002 law also requires every precinct to have at least one machine that would allow disabled people to vote unassisted. Direct record electronic machines, which often have touch screens, address that need, but no standards exist yet for these types of machines.

Joe Pezzillo, spokesman for Citizens for Verifiable Voting, said it's irresponsible to buy a system now that might not be compatible with direct record electronic machines purchased later.

"We think the undefined standards in and of itself is a show-stopper," he said.

Pezzillo said he recommended waiting to buy a system, but Salas said leasing a system was not cost-efficient because the county could spend that money on a new system.

The commissioners said a public hearing would be held before the contract with Hart is approved, though the hearing probably would not occur for several months.

Contact Laura Morsch at (303) 473-1328 or morschl@dailycamera.com.