N.Y. won't get new election machines this year . . .

[OneBlueSky]

By Yancy Roy
The Journal News
February 28, 2006

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060228/NEWS03/602280349/1017

ALBANY — It's virtually impossible to have new, electronic voting machines ready for the fall elections, meaning most voters will still be using old, lever-style machines, state officials said yesterday.

New machines can't be tested and certified any earlier than June, leaving too little time for counties to purchase the machines and train workers, said commissioners of the state Board of Elections. Commissioners said they would rather not rush the process at this point — even at the risk of a federal lawsuit — for fear of creating an election debacle.

"If we're forced to do it, or a judge forces us to do it," Commissioner Evelyn Aquila said, "we're going to have an election we'll never forget. It would be so terrible."

Most statewide offices, including governor, and all 212 legislators are up for election this year. The board postponed voting on regulations for new machines, an act that would have launched the bidding process for voting-machine companies. More time was needed to deal with issues of security, verification and testing, among other issues, commissioners said.

- more . . .

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060228/NEWS03/602280349/1017

[ithacan]

1. good

over a year ago, the assembly seemed on the road to absolutely rejecting Diebold and supporting new machines that were not subject to the kind of hacking that has been proved possible. There's also the issue of money, and forcing counties to spend money on the high=tech hackable junk coming out of some of these companies is absolutely unconscionable at a time when so many other priorities exist. But some Republicans in the Assembly blocked the common sense solution, and thus the standoff.

Better to miss deadlines than to be railroaded into bad decisions that undermine elections. We need paper ballots, either pencil and paper, or optical scan.

For details on the issue: New Yorkers for Verified Voting

[ithacan]

2. whoops,

should read some Republicans in the Senate are blocking common sense...