LAWRENCE COUNTY Officials delay buying voting system

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County voters won't be using touch-screen voting this year.
County commissioners decided to hold off on buying a new voting system because of changes in federal voting laws.
Commissioners were investigating buying a touch-screen voting system by the general election. They would have had to make a formal decision this week to have it in place by November.
Marlene Gabriel, county election director, said the state elections commissioner advised that Lawrence County hold off. She said Unilect Corp., which is based in California and is the only company certified to sell such machines in Pennsylvania, is not yet in certified by the federal government to provide an audio system that would assist voters who are blind.
New laws passed in the federal Help America Vote Act require all makers of electronic voting machines to be certified with an audio component that would assist people who are blind when voting.
Gabriel said if the county buys the machines now and later updates them with the audio component it would cost about $500 per machine.
Commissioner Brian Burick suggested that the county aim to have touch-screen voting in place for the 2004 primary election. He said they will likely have to purchase the machines in November or December.