Wexler lawsuit over touch-screen voting begins

By ERIKA BOLSTAD   Miami Herald   18 October 2004

A lawsuit over how to handle recounts on touch-screen voting machines started today, the same day that thousands of people across Florida trekked to early voting sites to cast ballots on the first day of early voting.

The lawsuit, brought by U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, seeks a printed paper record of votes cast on electronic voting machines.

The suit is proceeding despite an emergency rule issued Friday outlining how to handle recounts on touch-screen machines. The new recount rules still don't give election officials any indication of a voter's intent in an undervote, Wexler's lawyers argued this morning.

David Dill, a Stanford University computer science professor and voting machine expert, is expected to testify this afternoon.