Elections Board Pulls Lever On Voting Devices

Elections Board Pulls Lever On Voting Devices

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

The state Board of Elections began testing ballot-marking devices May 8 in an effort to meet the minimum equipment upgrades required by the 2002 Federal Help America Vote Act.

The state has fallen far behind the 2006 mid-term elections deadline imposed by HAVA and was sued March 1 by the Department of Justice for non-compliance.

Federal Funds At Stake

At stake is $221 million in Federal funds that was meant to assist New York in replacing lever voting machines with electronic devices, making poll sites and voting technology more accessible to disabled voters, and creating a statewide voter registration database.

In an effort to avoid a lengthy court battle over the Federal funds, the state agreed to submit a detailed plan of how it will comply with HAVA, and expects to have ballot marking devices installed at polls by fall elections to make ballot casting easier for disabled voters.

The state board began testing several ballot marking devices this week. Once authorized, these systems can be acquired and used by county boards of elections in 2006. The authorization testing is open to the public and is being held at the Club House at Western Turnpike Golf Course, located at 2350 Western Turnpike, Guilderland.

Testing of various ballot marking machines is taking place daily through May 12, starting at 9:30 a.m.