Electronic voting comes with a price tag for county 
 
 
By James Conmy, The Citizens Voice    26 October 2005 

Luzerne County's conversion to electronic voting in 2006 could cost taxpayers at least $1 million more than originally anticipated.

The cost to purchase new machines, install software, train employees and educate the public on the new voting format will exceed a $3 million federal Help America Vote Act, Bureau of Elections Director Leonard Piazza said Tuesday.

The federal government is requiring all voting to be electronic by 2006. The grant funds were allocated to help offset conversion costs.

Luzerne County may have to take a loan to cover the large capital expense, Commissioner Greg Skrepenak said after the county's budget hearings.

"Whenever you have this type of large-scale initiative there are bound to be some additional expenses," he said.

Voter education is one of the key components of the transition, Piazza said.

Television and newspaper advertisements, along with direct mailing, will be sent to instruct the public how to use the machines, Piazza said. Advertisements and mailings will be used in the May primary and November general elections, he said.

"The bottom line here is there are a lot of unknowns," Piazza said. "Until we get a machine here in the county that is certified by the state we cannot pin down a final dollar amount."

A five-member commission is expected to the machine the county will use once the Pennsylvania Department of State certifies a list of machines. That certification should take place in November, Piazza said.

Skrepenak also may push for each machine to produce a paper printout of election results. "I'm concerned about the integrity of the new voting machines," Skrepenak said. "I want to avoid any questions of impropriety."

The federal government is not mandating paper-audits of electronic voting machines.

As a result, any expenses associated with adding a paper-audit system is not covered by the grant funds, Piazza said.