Politics on the Hudson

A day after the state Board of Elections received a tongue-lashing from U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe, the state Association of Counties is voicing its displeasure with the state agency’s tardiness in complying with the Help America Vote Act, a federal election-modernization law. New York was supposed to have new voting machines by Jan. 1, 2006. It received an extension until this fall, but it missed that one too, prompting a renewed call from the U.S. Justice Department for action.

Sharpe ordered the board to submit a new plan for compliance by Jan. 4 and to have machines that are accessible to the disabled at every polling place by the fall.

It’s possible that counties might have to scrap those machines and buy new ones that meet higher standards for the following election. Stephen Acquario, executive director of the Association of Counties, said he is concerned about how the state’s inaction will affect New York’s “already beleaguered taxpayers.� Property taxes are at an all-time high, and counties should not have to pay for the state’s inability to meet deadlines, he said.

“The state’s inability to implement the election reforms and Judge Sharpe’s decision are likely to put all of our county governments in the difficult position of having to purchase both temporary ballot-marking devices and then later buy the HAVA-compliant election machines,� he said. “The limited amount of federal funding (nearly $200 million) will not cover the costs of both of these actions.�