Indiana to apply for $700,000 in grants for election reform
By Chris Foreman  Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 27, 2005

Indiana County commissioners will pursue almost $700,000 in funding to comply with national election-reform legislation, though they say they aren't sure what type of voting equipment will be required by state and federal governments.

Like 23 other counties in Pennsylvania, Indiana tallies votes with an optical-scan system that reads the marks voters make on a paper ballot. Indiana County officials contend it's an effective method, though the results from the 2004 general election weren't finalized until after 4 a.m. the next day.

"Our voting system, right now, is working OK," Commissioner Bernie Smith said. "We don't have any problems."

Smith, who is second vice president of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, expressed his frustration with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 during the commissioners' regular meeting on Wednesday. The three commissioners agreed to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of State for a $691,583 federal grant before the Jan. 31 deadline because they don't want to risking losing the funding.

But Smith said he and other commissioners across the country still see the provisions of the Help America Vote Act as an "unfunded mandate" that might leave counties liable for leftover costs related to the implementation of the federal law. Smith estimated the replacement of the optical-scan system with touch-screen machines would cost between $550,000 and $575,000 for the equipment alone. The training of election workers and campaigns to educate voters about the machines also could carry a price for the county.

Last month, the commissioners passed a 1-mill property tax increase to balance a $17.9 million general-fund budget for 2005 that has no money in reserve. Two weeks ago, they approved a one-year, $3.65 million tax-anticipation note through S&T Bank.

Smith said the county simply doesn't have the resources to pay for new voting technology.

"Guess where we're going to get it now? Out of your houses property taxes," Smith said.

After the meeting, Commissioner Rodney Ruddock, the board's chairman, said the county is being cautious in moving forward with the voting law's guidelines with regard to the specific technology that might be required.

The Department of State issued an amended plan in August that details the implementation of the new regulations. By Jan. 1, 2006, all voting systems used in elections for federal offices must permit a voter to "privately and independently" verify the decisions made on his ballot. The systems also must allow him to "privately and independently" change or correct that ballot before it is cast.

Other conditions include system notification that a person has "over-voted," with the opportunity to change the ballot if the voter has ed more candidates than allowed in a particular race.

Counties may continue to use paper-based voting systems if they are "designed to preserve voter confidentiality," according to the state plan. In this case, the state or the counties also must develop voter-education programs to inform voters about over-voting and how they can correct a ballot before it is cast.

All voting systems also must produce a permanent paper record.

Less than a year before the implementation of the act's regulations, Smith said the commissioners association is pushing for a two-year delay of its provisions. The federal government was slow to appoint an election advisory commission and to distribute money to the states, he said.

Initially, Congress intended Help America to Vote provisions to be in place for the 2004 general election. The act was a legislative response to ballot problems experienced in Florida during the 2000 general election.

Compounding matters this year is the fact that the state also is awaiting cues from the federal government. No vendors have been certified by the Department of State to provide counties with election equipment that complies with the act's provisions.

"We have not gotten a full definition from the federal government as to what will be compliant and what will not be compliant," Brian McDonald, a Department of State spokesman, said yesterday.

Most counties, such as Westmoreland, already have submitted their grant requests to the state. Paula Pedicone, director of Westmoreland's election bureau, said voters have liked the lever voting machines across the county, but the act mandates a change to another voting system.

In other Indiana County news yesterday, the commissioners promoted Robin Maryai from their assistant chief clerk to chief clerk, succeeding Helen Hill. Maryai's compensation will be set at a salary board meeting.

Hill is retiring at the end of the month after 45 years of employment with the county, including the last 22 as chief clerk. Maryai will celebrate her 21st year of work in the public sector on Feb. 1.