Vote machine deadline nears

By Natasha Smith    Hattiesburg American    16 August 2005
Counties agree

Forrest County and 45 other counties had signed on by Monday with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office to use touch-screen machines beginning in 2006. Among them are Covington, George, Greene, Jefferson Davis, Perry, Stone and Wayne counties.
 
Lamar, Jones, Marion and Pearl River counties face a Friday deadline to join a state-sponsored program that would place touch-screen voting machines in cities and counties across Mississippi.

Forrest County and 45 other counties had signed on by Monday with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office to use the machines beginning in 2006. Among them are Covington, George, Greene, Jefferson Davis, Perry, Stone and Wayne counties.

Lamar County Circuit Clerk Leslie Wilson said he is researching other voting equipment and hopes to meet with election commissioners Wednesday to reach a recommendation that will be presented to county supervisors Thursday.

"There's more to it than just being free," he said, but wouldn't elaborate.

Marion County Circuit Clerk Jesse Loftin said supervisors plan to join the program later this week. Representatives with Jones and Pearl River counties could not be reached to comment.

David Blount, spokesman for the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, said the 5,164 touch-screen voting machines for use throughout Mississippi will cost $15 million, which includes training, maintenance, voter education and technical support for five years.

The federal Help America Vote Act, or HAVA,will cover 95 percent of the cost; the state will pay the rest.

Blount said counties will pay nothing for the Diebold Election Systems machines. The number of machines each county will receive is based on the number of voters; he said countiescould receive a discount to buy additional machines.

"If a county opts out, they'll have to do all the work themselves," Blount said.

But John Gideon, information manager for VotersUnite - a national non-partisan organization that distributes election research information - said he's been contacted by Mississippi officials seeking information on the machines.

He said the machines do not comply with HAVA, which takes effect January, because they don't meet standards for mobility or help sight-impaired voters beyond using an audio feed. He said the devices have also been known to crash and provide error messages.

"I'm afraid January 2006 will come, all the HAVA funds will be used and the counties will still have to dig into their pockets," he said, adding that his organization sent letters to every circuit clerk in Mississippi.

Blount said the machines are endorsed by the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities and meet HAVA standards. Also, he said, a technician will be available for problems that arise on election day.

Lamar County resident Lora Richardson said she finds the democratic process more tedious as she gets older. She said she hopes the county takes action to make it easier for voters like her to read the print on a voting machine.

"Whether it's a bond issue or the president of the United States, I'm going to have my say," she said.