Clermont joins suit on voting system

By Steve Kemme    Cincinnati Enquirer   25 May 2005

BATAVIA - Clermont County is joining a suit against Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to gain more time to decide which of two non-electronic voting systems to .

Blackwell's deadline was Tuesday for companies to submit voting machines for certification.

The Clermont County Board of Elections voted Tuesday to become part of a suit contending the deadline is unreasonable and unnecessary. The suit was filed by Election Systems & Software, a Nebraska-based voting-machine maker. Hamilton County and several other Ohio counties have joined the suit.

Clermont needs more time to decide between optical-scan voting systems by ES&S or Texas-based Diebold Elections Systems, said Danny Bare, director of the Clermont County Board of Elections.

The non-electronic or optical-scan voting systems require voters to blacken ovals with No. 2 pencils.

"This is a big decision," Bare said. "We'll be using a $1.8 million grant to pay for it. We certainly want to make a wise choice and make sure we make the best use of taxpayers' money."

By joining the suit, Clermont County will have at least until June 3 to choose a voting system. Depending on outcome, the counties could have longer, Bare said.

The Clermont County Board of Elections is to meet at 9 a.m., June 3, for a reappraisal and possibly to a voting system.

Butler County chose the touch-screen electronic voting system, and Warren County ed the ES&S optical-scan system.