Lafayette still undecided on voting machines

8/2/2005 1:14:11 AM
Daily Journal

BY JENNIFER FARISH

Daily Journal Oxford Bureau

OXFORD - Just two weeks from the deadline, Lafayette County supervisors are still undecided on a state program to help the county meet federal voting standards.

County administrator Rich-ard Copp told supervisors Monday night he was unsure if the state program, which would provide 64 new voting machines, was the right option.

An alternate option would equip the current polling stations with a ballot scanner and one handicap-accessible machine.

The alternate is expected to be cheaper than the state's plan since the county will still have to purchase about 45 new machines under that option, Copp said.

The changes to the 17 county precincts are needed in order to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, which was passed to ensure polls are handicap accessible and that people whose ballots cannot be read are able to revote.

Only six Mississippi counties - DeSoto, Hinds, Jackson, Lowndes, Noxubee and Rankin - meet the federal standards. The rest of Mississippi's 81 counties have until January 2006 to ensure polls meet the standards.

If the county goes with the alternate option, the state will reimburse about $100,000 of the estimated $160,000 cost. The state option could cost the county as much as an additional $200,000, Copp said.

Supervisors said they want to review the alternative proposal further before making a final decision.