State seeking bids for voting systems with paper trail
In the wake of the “hanging chads” presidential election of 2000, updating voting methods across the nation was on the front burner, and legislators appropriated millions of dollars in the Help America Vote Act.
Washington and Greene counties purchased touch-screen voting machines that were first used in the primary election of 2006.
The life of these machines is pegged at 10 to 12 years, according to Melanie Ostrander, assistant elections director in Washington County.
Knowing the machines will have to be replaced soon, vendors are approaching the county.
Although Washington County has had no serious discussions about replacing them, the state has taken a step toward permitting a voter-verified paper audit trail to accompany electronic voting.
The Department of State issued what is known as an “invitation for bid” to vendors that includes requirements for increased documentation, security and reporting capabilities.
This follows a directive issued in February that all voting systems purchased from that time forward must employ a voter-verifiable paper ballot or voter-verifiable paper record of votes cast.
It also enhances standards for physical security, confidentiality, data encryption, audit logging and reporting.
The invitation for bids updates an existing state-negotiated agreement with vendors and can be used by counties to purchase voter-verifiable systems that meet the department’s requirements for certification.
Washington County Commission Chairman Larry Maggi, who also is chairman of the Washington County Election Board, said he’s given new voting machines a cursory look at vendor displays, but he’s waiting for a state and/or federal mandate before spending taxpayer dollars.
“We want to see what their final rules and regulations are for these machines. I should say computers,” Maggi said Tuesday. “I know the technology has gotten better.”
The election board and commission chairman said he did not know what it might cost today to replace the county’s 700 touch-screen machines.
The tab in 2006 when the county took the plunge was about $2.1 million, with 84 percent of equipment costs coming from the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 and $300,000 coming from the county treasury.
Maggi said it’s a matter he does not take lightly.
“One of the most important things we do as county commissioners is oversee free and fair elections,” Maggi said. “It’s one of the most important things we do in our democracy, to make sure everyone gets a chance and opportunity to vote.”
Washington County purchased 750 Diebold AccuVote TSx touch-screen voting system machines. Dominion Voting Systems of Toronto, Canada, purchased Diebold in 2010 and has a U.S. headquarters in Denver, Colo.
Greene County elections director Tina Kiger said her office is still waiting for the new voting machines with paper records to be approved by the state before deciding which brand to purchase. She said they are eyeing two particular brands that have yet to be approved, but hope they will be ready by the end of the year.
“We are ready. (The commissioners) are ready,” Kiger said. “As soon as they have some (machines) certified, we’re hoping during the summer to get a couple (vendors) in here to do presentations.”
She did not know how much the new machines will cost the county, especially since federal grants that were available more than a decade ago will not be offered for this round of purchases.
The 114 current machines, purchased for $398,330 in 2006, are beginning to reach the end of their lifespan. The machines still function well, Kiger said, but they occasionally have battery or calibration issues.
“We really haven’t had as many issues, but it’s getting there where we’re going to start having more issues,” Kiger said.