Reply #1: 2 counties risk lawsuits for spurning touch-screen voting machines

[Melissa G]

2 counties risk lawsuits for spurning touch-screen voting machines
By George Bennett

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, June 27, 2005

At least two Florida counties are balking at paperless touch-screen voting machines — and risking lawsuits — as state and federal deadlines loom for buying equipment that allows disabled voters to cast ballots without assistance.

The Volusia County Council rejected a contract this month to buy touch screens to supplement the county's optical-scan ballots. And Leon County Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho says he'd rather wait for a not-yet-approved voting device than buy any paperless machines.

Voters in Volusia, Leon and 50 other Florida counties use paper ballots that optical scanners read at each precinct. State and federal laws say counties with optical-scan ballots can keep those systems, but they also must add other equipment to accommodate voters who can't mark paper ballots on their own.

The state law applies to any elections that take place after Friday. The federal law takes effect Jan. 1.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2005/06/27/s1b_voting_0627.html