Same Old Voting Machines
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- November
- 27
Don’t expect to see new voting machines in use in Westchester next year.
Because the state Board of Elections has yet to certify any machines for use in New York State, it’s highly unlikely that Westchester will be able to purchase enough new machines and train enough election inspectors in time for the 2007 elections, according to Westchester Elections Commissioner Reginald LaFayette.
“I’m sure we’re gonna be voting on (level machines) next year,” said LaFayette, who briefed the county Board of Legislators today on plans to relocate the elections offices to a new building in Greenburgh.
LaFayette said he does not expect the state to make any decisions about new voting machines until at least March.
While many good-government groups favor optical-scan voting machines – which require voters to fill out paper ballots much the same way that high school students take standardized college entrance exams – LaFayette does not believe they are necessarily a better choice over the electronic vothing machines.
Most of the recent election controversies in Westchester, LaFayette said, have involved disputes over paper absentee ballots, which are already processed using optical scan machines and are not immune from tampering.
“We know the pitfalls of paper,” LaFayette said.
This entry was posted
on Monday, November 27th, 2006 at 3:55 pm by Glenn Blain.
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