Officials prepare voters for electronic machines

Elections officials said small lines at polling places could develop.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County elections officials are counting down the last 21/2 weeks until the Nov. 8 election and putting on a full-court press to educate voters about new voting machines.
Though they think education, training and testing for the touch-screen machines is going well, board of elections director Kelly S. Pallante and Rokey W. Suleman, deputy director, say voters can also do their part to keep election night running smoothly by getting some knowledge about issues on the ballot before election day.
Five statewide issues will be on the ballot this year, and each contains a lengthy explanation. If too many voters take the time to read all of this information at the voting machine, it could cause delays, they said.
"This will be an especially long ballot," Suleman said, explaining that an odd-year general election such as this doesn't contain the largest number of items for voters to decide, but that there will be a lot of information to read.
A lot to digest
In addition to the statewide issues, voters will have four countywide levies to consider as well as the normal local candidates and issues. Pallante estimated voter turnout in Trumbull County to be 40 percent to 45 percent. She said this estimate is derived, in part, by looking at the healthy number of absentee ballot applications the board has received.
Pallante said the busiest time at most polling stations is during the dinner hour, which has the potential for creating the biggest bottleneck. Suleman said he thinks waiting in line for 10 minutes is likely to be the worst election-night trouble.
"There is the potential for small lines to develop," Suleman said.
Training sessions with the public are continuing throughout October to demonstrate the new machines. Suleman said the board also demonstrated the machines at 50 locations within the past 60 days. He said citizens trying out the machines have reacted favorably.
"Once they get past the first screen or page, they will be OK," Pallante said of voters.
"Touch-screen technology is part of our everyday lives, so I don't think it will be an issue for most people," Suleman said.
They added that the board will be sending a brochure to all registered voters one week before the election that explains how the machines work.
Should be ready to go
All of the equipment elections officials say is needed to run the machines properly, such as battery backups and paper rolls, is ordered and expected to arrive in plenty of time before the election.
The elections board and Diebold tested the machines last summer to ensure that the printers and electronics are working properly. They then ran them with test ballots to ensure that they are properly calibrated.
The last tests, which are 40 percent complete, involve checking the machines' "logic and accuracy" with the actual ballots in them, Suleman said. "We are getting superior results," he said.
The new machines were used in McDonald village on a trial basis two years ago, to a good response, they said.
All of Ohio's 88 counties are required to use electronic voting by next spring's primary election, Suleman said. Thirty Ohio counties including Trumbull are using Diebold machines for the first time this fall.
Mahoning and Lake counties have used electronic voting, though Mahoning County chose a different company to supply the machines than Trumbull. Fifty counties chose Diebold, Suleman said.
runyan@vindy.com