Reply #23: WV: Secretary of state says electronic ballots progressing [View All]

[rumpel]

Charlston Daily Mail

By The Associated Press
Tuesday April 25, 2006

Efforts to program West Virginia's new voting machines are progressing as machines in 21 counties are ready for use, Secretary of State Betty Ireland said.

The early voting period began last week, but delays in programming the 4,000 electronic voting machines meant many counties were forced to use paper ballots. Early voting ends on May 6.

By Monday afternoon machines in 21 counties were available for use. Programming for machines in another 23 counties was being proofed for accuracy. Machines in the remaining counties were being programmed, said Ben Beakes, Ireland's chief of staff.

"We have several counties using their machines today and tomorrow we will have several more," he said.

Election Systems & Software has the contract to program ballots into the machines statewide. The delays have occurred as states rush to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act.

http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2006042524/