Florida's Volusia County Says No to Paperless Touchscreen Machines

[flpoljunkie]

By JAMES MILLER
Staff Writer

Last update: June 07, 2005

DELAND -- County Council members didn't need a recount Monday, but they figured one day voters might. At a special meeting, the council narrowly killed a contract that would have brought touch-screen voting machines to Volusia. "I have to live with my conscience, and I feel I did the right thing," said County Chairman Frank Bruno, one of four council members to vote against the $782,185 contract with Diebold Election Systems.

Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall wanted to buy 210 machines to meet a state deadline to have disabled accessible systems for the first election after July 1. So far, only touch-screen systems, which use an "audio ballot" with headphones, meet federal and state guidelines for disabled accessibility.

"We're operating with a gun to our heads, and I don't appreciate that," said Bruno, who hopes some other type of equipment will be approved before a federal deadline of Jan. 1. "It's a clear message to the state to tell them they need to revisit it, and, hopefully, match (the state deadline) to the federal deadline."

Locally, the advocacy group Handicapped Adults of Volusia County opposed the touch screens. While Bruno and Councilman Carl Persis had previously voted against negotiating a contract with Diebold Election Systems, two councilmen -- Dwight Lewis and Art Giles -- changed course after earlier endorsing contract negotiations.

One of the council's concerns was McFall's possible plan to use the touch screens for early voting -- not just as alternative for disabled voters.

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One must ask themselves why Republican Election Supervisors like McFall seem so hell bent on voting systems that have no paper trail. And when the Handicapped Adults of Volusia County themselves understand the need for transparency and a paper trail to insure the integrity of their vote, will the state and/or national disabled groups seek to bypass them and file a lawsuit on their behalf anyway.

And this, from today's Orlando Sentinel:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-asecvvoting07060705jun07,0,2242210.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

Volusia Tosses Plan for Touch-Screens

By a 4-3 vote, the County Council rejects a contract for the controversial voting machines.

By Kevin P. Connolly | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted June 7, 2005

"I guess my reaction is I am dismayed that the county commission has decided not protect the civil rights of people with disabilities . . . ," said Doug Towne, a disability consultant for the state Division of Elections. County Council members are aware of the requirements and the history of the state and federal legislation, he said, "and, despite all of that, they decided not to protect us, and that's very troubling to me."

Towne and others predict that if Volusia doesn't change its position, it will likely get sued, possibly by advocates for the disabled, and the county could become a test case for the new regulations.

Towne said he hopes it doesn't come to that.

"My job is to sort this out and get this reversed," he said.

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(The man, of course, consults for Glenda Hood, Republican Secretary of State.)

[dubyaD40web]

1. 1 year too late.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Volusia uses opti-scan machines. R's apparently trying to get touchscreen

machines in the door in Volusia County by using the disabled. Ion Sancho, Election Supervisor in Leon County (Tallahassee), has said there will soon be available an opti-scan machine for use by the disabled. The Republican led state of Florida appears to be dragging their feet and delaying the certification of this non touchscreen machine.

[Orangepeel]

3. it's never too late

we have congressional elections and a gubernatorial election in '06

[DawnneOBTS]

4. We need to stop the Republicanization of this county

I live in Volusia County, and the only reason I live here is that it is a blue county. Can the disabled be so stupid as to want a paperless voting machine? The Republicans seem to think they are. Come on, already!

[dryan]

5. Florida Law....

already covers the ability of the disabled to vote. According to Florida statute, if a blind or a person that has some other disability wants to vote they can. They go into the voting area with 2 people, one of which is the Precinct Clerk (or the Assistant Precinct Clerk) and another person. The other person can even be a poll watcher from one of the parties. The precinct clerk reads the ballot and marks it for the person in front of the other witness. I have helped hundreds of sightless people vote this way.

[flpoljunkie]

6. Seems apparent R's are cynically using the disabled to push touchscreens.

This is despicable. The disabled, like every other citizen, must be able to trust in the integrity of our voting system--touchscreen machines provide neither transparency nor can their results be confirmed through audits (which must he made random and mandatory), without the requisite paper trail.