Reply #22: WV: Another Editorial- "No, ES&S is Not a Division of FEMA:....."

[livvy]

May 6, 2006

COMMENTARY: No, ES&S is Not a Division of FEMA: It Just Seems Like It in Wake of Foul-ups

By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntington News Network

Hinton, WV (HNN) – No, contrary to what some may think, Election Systems & Software (ES&S) is not a division of FEMA.

ES&S has gotten West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland’s Irish up with delays in providing software to run the new touch-screen voting machines, but thanks to above and beyond the call of duty service on the part of the state’s 55 county clerks and their staffs, all might be well on election day, Tuesday, May 9.

On Friday, May 5, 2006, Ben Beakes of the Secretary of State’s office told HNN that 25 to 30 counties are set to go on Tuesday, with all the electronic ballots delivered to all the machines. Raleigh, Logan and Kanawha counties are among those ready, with Cabell County expected to be fully operational by election day. Summers County is ready to go, too, according to County Clerk Mary Beth Merritt. She said the software was delivered on Monday, May 1 – well behind schedule – but long hours of work have paid off and all the machines are working properly.

Beakes said the statewide situation is in a state of flux and his office is calling all the clerks for periodic updates. He suggested that HNN call back on Monday, May 8, the day before the primary.

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http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/060506-kinchen-comment.html