Elections officials fear chaos

A vote by Congress is
expected early this week.

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON — Local governments that spent millions of dollars on new voting machines two years ago might have to do it again if a bill pending in Congress becomes law.

The bill would require ballots nationwide to have paper trails by the November 2008 presidential election.

That means that local governments in 19 states and the District of Columbia would have to reinvest in new sets of technology months before facing their busiest election day. Almost all other local governments nationally would be required to buy new equipment by 2012.

“Can’t do it. There’s no way,” said Chris Exarchos, the chairman of the Centre County Board of Commissioners in Bellefonte, Pa. “You need time for a smooth transition.”

The bill could be voted on in the House of Representatives early this week. Although there are 216 co-sponsors, the measure has run into snags in recent weeks as local governments lobby to say they can’t meet the deadlines. The state of New York, for example, wants a one-year extension to use its lever machines.

Proponents say the requirements are needed after years of problems across the nation with vote undercounts, broken machinery and allegations of voter fraud.

“It’s irresponsible to not have a paper backup,” said Joyce McCloy, a Winston-Salem, N.C., resident and founder of N.C. Verified Voting, which is affiliated with a California-based national organization. “You’re looking at a national election,” McCloy said. “One state could have a meltdown that could affect all 50.”

Florida and Ohio, scenes of voter calamities in the past two presidential elections, already have changed their laws to include paper backups that can be verified by voters at the polls and audited after election days.

Some observers warn that swing states such as Pennsylvania could be the locale for the next wave of unflattering attention if the results are close in next year’s election.

“Almost every county in [Pennsylvania] still has paperless voting systems,” said Susannah Goodman, the director of the election program at Common Cause in Washington. “Here’s a swing state. And you can’t do an audit.”

Some states, including South Carolina and Georgia, are entirely paperless. Counties and states have lobbied against the bill, however, saying it amounts to a federal “unfunded mandate” that doesn’t take local needs into account.