Voting computers coming, supervisors want more info

7/19/2005

By REGINA BUTLER
Pontotoc Progress

Pontotoc County?s future voting methods are mounting into a virtual ?Clash of the Titans? with the state in wrangling with the decision of what computer company to use.
The clock is ticking and county supervisors have less than a month to decide if they are going to go with the Diebold computers or choose another company for the touch screen type voting.
Secretary of State Eric Clark has already entered into an agreement with Diebold to provide machines at no cost to the county.
However in Pontotoc County?s situation, the state is only giving about half the amount of computers that are needed.
?The state has mandated that we need about one machine for every 200 voters,? said Tracy Robinson, Pontotoc County Circuit Clerk, ?and they are only going to give us 49 computers, and we will have to purchase an additional 45 machines at several thousand dollars each to meet the mandated requirements.?
In addition to this, all the voting booths in each of the 33 precincts will have to be re-worked to install the booths with curtains for voters to draw behind them when they step in to vote.
Robinson said the Diebold company isn?t certifiable under federal law because of ?no paper trail. There is not a way to re-count the votes with paper if there is a discrepancy.?
The track record of the company hasn?t been reputable from other counties across the nation.
Volusa County Council in Florida voted against it because it doesn?t generate a paper receipt; Alameda County California has asked for a $6 million upgrade to voting machines manufactured by Diebold because of security issues; the largest counties in Utah decline to take the Diebold machines because of security issues.
However, if the county opts out of the state?s offer, the county will have to purchase all the machines.
The supervisors asked Robinson to bring more information to the next meeting.