Group divided on new voting system

Most task force members back a high-tech device. A dissenter says the county should keep using punch cards for a year.

By Nancy Petersen    Philadelphia INQUIRER   08 December 2005

A split decision was rendered yesterday by members of the Chester County Voting System Task Force about what kind of voting machines to use in 2006.

But all five agreed that the process driving their deliberations was severely flawed, and they blamed "bureaucratic bungling" at the federal and the state levels.

"With unrealistic time lines, uncertain standards and criteria, and an unfathomable failure to communicate, these higher levels of government have backed us into a corner," said task force member Richard Winchester.

Despite their reservations, four of the group's five members recommended to the county commissioners that they spend $3.9 million to buy the iVotronic system manufactured by Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Neb.

It eliminates paper punch cards and is handicapped accessible.

"We found [this] system to be innovative, reliable and secure," said Joel Frank, speaking for the majority. He said the group was also impressed with the company's training program to teach poll workers and voters how to use the system.

But Winchester disagreed with that recommendation. In his minority report, he suggested that the county hang on to its aging punch-card system for another year, and lease enough handicapped-accessible machines to meet the federal mandate that all precincts have at least one such machine by the May primary.

His choice for lease and potential purchase was the eSlate system of Hart Intercivic, Austin, Texas.

"If we delay a year, we can learn from the mistakes of others," he said. The county has 223 precincts and could qualify for approximately $1.8 million in federal reimbursements.

To get the federal funds, counties must certify to the state by Dec. 31 that they are negotiating a contract for a voting system that complies with federal and state standards based on 2002 federal law, said Department of State spokesman Brian McDonald. That system must be in place by the May primary, he said.

The task force held a public hearing on Nov. 18 attended by more than 100 people, many of whom said they trusted the reliability of the punch-card system, and they didn't trust electronic voting if it didn't come with a paper receipt showing their vote.

But the Pennsylvania election code does not make allowance for receipts.

Until and unless that changes, the state will not be certifying machines with that capability, McDonald said.

"Unless there is concrete language in the law itself, it is hard for us to implement a policy," he said.

Although they meet again Tuesday, the commissioners did not say whether the reports received yesterday would be on their agenda.