Federal grants may help fund voting upgrades

[Rose Siding]

Federal grants may help fund voting upgrades

The state is preparing to submit a plan to the federal government outlining a major overhaul in voting systems across Pennsylvania -- including an upgrade of Allegheny County's voting machines that could cost $18 million.

Much of the money needed to replace the county's lever machines with electronic touch screen machines is expected to come from federal grants, said Mark Wolosik, director of the county's election division. He estimates a cost of $12 million to $18 million to replace the county's 2,800 machines.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/regional/s_144521.html

[VolcanoJen]

1. Kick!

:dem:

[Lauren2882]

2. More info - PPG article

I did a search at the website of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and found an article about the hearings that was published on July 7th:

http://www.post-gazette.com/election/20030707voting0707p5.asp

Selections from the article:
"The act provides $325 million in funding -- $11.3 million of that designated for Pennsylvania -- for states to comply with requirements, make improvements in areas such as technology, educate voters, develop plans for the change, improve or replace voting systems, improve polling place accessibility, and to set up hot lines for voters.

Pennsylvania will get another $22 million to $24 million to replace lever voting machines and punch card systems with a high-tech electronic voting system."
...

"The Pennsylvania General Assembly in December 2002 enacted Act 2002-150, which amended the Pennsylvania Election Code to include several provisions designed to comply with HAVA. By Jan. 1, 2006, all states' voting systems must comply.

Pennsylvania used three types of voting methods in the November 2000 election, according to state figures. Of the 9,418 precincts in Pennsylvania in November 2000, about 65 percent used lever voting machines; 34 percent used electronic voting systems; and less than 1 percent used paper ballots.

The electronic voting systems used in Pennsylvania include punch cards, optical scan systems and direct recording electronic, or DRE, devices.

A copy of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, with Pennsylvania's plan to comply with it, can be viewed online at www.DOS.state.pa.us. The information is located on the right-hand side of the home page under the heading "What's Hot." "


I don't know much about this, but it sounds like the HAVA Act might improve the process in certain ways, specifically by making voting easier and more "user-friendly," in contrast to the butterfly ballots of Florida. I am concerned about touch-screen voting, however, for the lack of a paper trail that would be left behind. The article said that in 2000, PA used 3 types of voting technology: lever machines, "electronic voting systems", and paper ballots. I don't know exactly what each of these systems entails but I believe that with all of them there is SOME type of paper component. Is that correct?

Another potentially positive outcome of the Act would be the standardization of voting technology across states, and possibly across the country. If a faulty technology is used, I want it to be applied equally to all voters. One of the major proplems with the Florida 2000 vote was that the technology in counties with a high % of black residents was more faulty.

For better or for worse, though, apparently this won't have an effect on the 2004 vote if it's true that the new systems won't be implemented until 2006.

[farmboxer]

3. Stop The Republican Manufactured And Programmed

voting machines ASAP!