New voting machines face myriad of criticisms
Nov 9, 2005    WSMV News 
  
Dagny Stuart

Tennessee is about to spend nearly $57 million to improve elections and buy new voting machines. Critics complain the new technology is too expensive and may not guarantee that your vote is counted.

Ophelia Ford has been sworn in as Tennessee's newest state Senator, even though her opponent Terry Roland is contesting the race. Ophelia won the race to fill her brother John Ford's seat by only about a dozen votes. But because Memphis uses push pad voting machines, election officials can't do a true recount.

Voter groups like "Gathering to Save Our Democracy", are demanding a way to do a true audit of elections. They say many of the new electronic touch screen voting machines, including the machines used in Davidson County, can't give an accurate audit.

Davidson County's machines produce a simple tape that counts the votes recorded, but it doesn't prove the machine took every vote. Some voter activists want something more.

"The voter verified paper ballot is what we want. That means the voter does look at a record of how their vote was counted by the machine and they verify it," said Thelma Kidd, Voter Activist.

Representative Susan Lynn has introduced a bill that would require a paper audit trail something at least 10 other states have already passed.

"There's always a suspicion or a risk of manipulation. That's why a voter verified paper trail is important. Vote by vote by vote it gives reassurance that votes won't be tampered with," said Lynn.

But Representative Lynn's bill went nowhere and Brook Thompson, Tennessee's Coordinator of Elections, opposes the paper audit trial. He says it would be possible to figure out how an individual voted.

"It puts names on a piece of paper in order. I have concerns about the secrecy of the ballot," says Thompson.

"Even though some states are requiring it?" asks Reporter Dagny Stuart.

"Absolutely, I don't know what they're doing about it, but we have concerns in Tennessee," said Thompson.

Some voter advocacy groups are also concerned about the reliability of new voting machines. Some of Diebold Systems' machines were decertified in California after they failed two tests and they all had to be sent back. Then there's the issue of built-in computer technology.

"Some of the equipment now being considered is configured with wireless communications capability which would allow vote totals to be changed from a distance," said Bernie Ellis, Voter Activist.

"The wireless capability I'm aware of relates to transmission of results after the election, and we can turn off the wireless during an election. That's what we want them to do," said Thompson.

But Bernie Ellis isn't willing to take that on faith.

"They are machines owned by private companies, counting our votes in secret, using software we're not allowed to examine," said Ellis.

The fear that any votes won't be counted is driving the discussion about voting machine technology.

"Now to come to a point where votes cast has some question mark when they're counted is an affront to all we've stood for," said Rev. Charles Kimbrough Voter Activist.

The fight over electronic voting machines is headed to the Tennessee courts. Attorney David Mills filed a lawsuit against Shelby County claiming Tennessee's election laws are unconstitutional.

"The people who get to vote on paper have greater rights than those who have to vote on machines that have no paper," says Mills.

That's because paper ballots inside or outside of a machine, can be recounted. This means some voters can demand a recount while others cannot, which is precisely the case with Ophelia Ford's contest.

Mills and others say it's time to eliminate elections that end with a question mark.

State officials have ordered counties to scrap older punch card systems and buy newer electronic voting equipment. But some election commissioners complain that the new equipment usually has a one year warranty. When that runs out, county election commissions will have to come up with the money to repair or replace the new equipment, which could cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Voter activists plan to attend the State Election Commission meeting November 15th and speak out about new voting machines.