Omaha Prints Own Ballots As Others Wait

[Judi Lynn]

Omaha Prints Own Ballots As Others Wait

By TIMBERLY ROSS
The Associated Press
Thursday, October 26, 2006; 10:39 AM

OMAHA, Neb. -- As election officials across the country struggle to get ballots in time for Nov. 7 elections, county employees in Omaha are printing their own.

Douglas County used to buy ballots from Omaha-based Electronic Systems & Software _ one of the three main suppliers of election equipment and ballots in the United States.

But this year, the county bought a printer to produce the 425,000 optical-scan ballots it needs.
(snip)

But the county also may have saved itself a headache by ensuring it will have ballots on Election Day, said Doug Lewis, director of the Election Center, a national association of election officials.

Omaha "may be ahead of the curve," he said
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/26/AR2006102600597.html

[Hugin]

1. Monopoly is the mother of innovation...

Sounds like a good idea.

[LisaM]

2. Only way to go if you ask me....

with all the stories we've heard of ballots arriving late, printed wrong, candidates names cut off, ballot shortages - why would anyone do it any other way? It's part of the myth of privatization that it was outsourced to begin with, I'm sure.

[AndyTiedye]

3. Interesting that ES&S's HOME CITY Can't Get Ballots from them On Time

It's not as if they'd have to ship them very far.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Why can't they have them printed by the local printers?

Keep the tax money in the local economy. Don't send it out to a company that doesn't give a damn about your community.

[texpatriot2004]

6. A damn good idea you have there. nm

[warrens]

5. Bwahahahaha

Poor ES&S is going to get cut out of its profit. Poor babies.