Akron Beacon Journal: Choice of optical scanners sells Summit voters short

[Patsy Stone]

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/13447717.htm

Editorial:

Posted on Tue, Dec. 20, 2005

Accuracy in voting
Choice of optical scanners sells Summit voters short

"Most counties in Ohio and all others in this region have chosen modern voting technology that allows decisions to be made (and corrected) by touching a computer screen. Not in Summit. Here, the elections board deadlocked. Republicans insisted on a half-step forward, opting for a low-tech system that scans marks on paper. Democrats embraced a fully computerized, touch-screen system. Neither side would budge.

"On Friday, J. Kenneth Blackwell, the secretary of state, broke the stalemate, siding with fellow Republicans Alex Arshinkoff and Joseph Hutchinson over Democrats Wayne Jones and Russ Pry. Sadly, the primary reason for choosing an optical scanner was cost. The selection will save the state nearly $1.1 million, money that can be used to offset other costs of complying with the federal Help America Vote Act."

More at the link.

[Wilms]

1. You'd think Ohio Dems would know better than endorsing DRE's.

But it's Ohio.

snip

Most important is that touch-screen voting automatically eliminates the most common ballot error, overvoting, Diebold machines producing error rates as low as 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent in some states.

snip

(Wilms notes: Diebold machines produce error rates as as high as 20 percent in some states...like CA.)

[mod mom]

2. BLACKWELL MUST BE STOPPED! Another high Dem county under Diebold control.

:mad:

[philb]

3. optical scanners are more reliable and cost effective; and can be

secure if a mandantory random sample of precinct hand counts plus system to insure identifiable machine cards followed throughout the process is used