Reply #15: Ohio-"Elections staff learn to program machines"

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http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060215/NEWS09/602150362/-1/NEWS

Elections staff learn to program machines
If they fail, counties must pay for help

By JANE SCHMUCKER
BLADE STAFF WRITER


How much local county elections officials learn about programming their new voting machines this winter will mean big bucks to area taxpayers.

Machine manufacturers, such as Diebold, are leading training classes and will help county election offices put the May ballot in their electronic machines, under a contract with the Ohio Secretary of State's office.

After that, county election boards are on their own.

If their employees learn to program the machines themselves, they're all set. And if they don't, they will need to hire someone to do it for them at an estimated cost of $16,000 to $70,000 a year, depending on the size of the county and how much help they want...