Ireland Says No Major Problems With Early Voting   (WV)

Staff    MetroNews   20 October 2008

"There's no conspiracy here, absolutely none," according to Secretary of State Betty Ireland when it comes to reported early voting problems in Jackson and Putnam counties.

A few voters say the touch screen machines didn't correctly record their votes. They say they voted Democrat, but the machines said Republican. County clerks in both counties say hundreds of other voters have cast ballots with no problems and the situation could be due to voter error.

Ireland says the machines are not programmed by the clerks or by her office, but by the firm Casto & Harris, "who has been working with clerks for 35 years in West Virginia to handle our election matters," she said.

A representative of the machine vendor will visit both counties to check out the machines according to Ireland.

The secretary of state says there's heightened awareness and excitability with this election. "We just want folks to settle down and help be part of the solution," Ireland said.

She advises voters to ask for help if they get a machine that doesn't appear to be working correctly. She says it's also okay to cancel a ballot and switch machines.