New York City, Oct. 23, 2009 --
Speakers took issue with the new voting systems on multiple grounds including cost, accuracy, and dependability. Concerns about votes counted in secret and the ease of manipulation of election results with the new system abounded.
Columbia County Democratic Election Commissioner Virginia Martin testified that "the mandated transition to electronic voting and vote-counting will likely prevent me as commissioner from doing my job, which is to certify to the accuracy of election numbers."
While she praised some of the State's actions to comply with new election law, she said the new computerized voting systems are poorly made and break down often, in contrast to the dependable lever voting systems currently in use. "If Columbia County starts using software to count votes, I will not certify an election unless an appropriately designed audit of the paper ballots is conducted. So far, the State Board [of Elections] has not mandated an audit that audit experts agree will expose inaccurate counts."
Commissioner Virginia Martin Testifying (Photo by Russell Branca)
Exorbitant costs are also of concern to Martin. "Boards [of Elections] across the state have encountered enormous resistance from their counties when they have tried to get the funds these unfunded mandates would have us incur. I know of two cases in which county budgets have tripled."
1 comments:
I am a resident in the city of Ithaca, Tompkins County NY. Today I went to vote and found that I was required to vote on an optical scan paper ballot which was tabulated on a Sequoia ImageCast which also has BMD to facilitate handicapped voters. I was taken totally by surprise. It was my understanding that these machines were only to facilitate the handicapped and the trusted lever machines would still be used for all others.
Personally, I distrust any computerized voting technology, especially since I have my degree in computer science and understand many of the security vulnerabilities of computers in general and the national mess that has ensued as a result of certification of expensive non compliant machines.
Having said that, this race is uncontested with only three candidates and two propositions. Had I known this election was to be run this way I would have prepared by examining the machine and it’s systematic vulnerabilities and got myself in a position to observe the process from precinct to the end of tabulation.
Can anyone help me on such short notice. I likely could get permission to observe from a candidate on the ballot with a phone call today and have a video camera at the ready.
What should I look for in the Sequoia ImageCast BMD???? email me teknikAL@twcny.rr.com
I should also add I believe they will have an audit, which is not mandated by the state.
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