Reply #8: NY: Concerns remain about electronic voting [View All]

[Mnemosyne]

Concerns remain about electronic voting

By Robert M. Miraldi, Freeman staff
02/07/2008

KINGSTON - While it is supposed to inspire "public confidence in the outcome of elections," a proposed local law under consideration by the Ulster County Legislature inspired serious doubt about the security of electronic voting machines at a public hearing Wednesday night.

As a response to voting snafus in the 2000 presidential election, Congress in 2002 adopted the Help America Vote Act, which mandated that all states switch to electronic voting. The type of electronic voting machine to be used in Ulster County will ultimately be decided by the county Board of Elections chairman, but the proposed local law would require the system to provide a paper backup.

Legislator Gary Bischoff, D-Saugerties, speaking at the outset of the hearing, said there was a concern among his fellow lawmakers that the voting machine decision was being "usurped" from the Board of Elections. That's not true, he said.

In fact, Bischoff said, the Board of Elections has already decided to use a handicapped-accessible ballot-marking device with a scanner built in. He said the machines may be ordered as soon as next week.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19270862&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=15