Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Parties push need for vote backup
A paper record is needed to boost public faith in the voting system, they say.
By CURTIS KRUEGER
Published June 7, 2005
Pinellas County's Democratic, Libertarian and Green political parties have formed an unusual coalition asking the county government to change how it handles local elections.
The coalition says the county should create a "paper trail" in its voting system in case workers need to double-check vote totals.
In the old system, machines counted paper computer punch cards, but people could re-count them manually. But the cards no longer exist since the county switched to computerized touch screen voting machines that tally totals electronically.
Creating some kind of paper trail would not only help prove that every ballot is counted but also would improve public confidence in the system, said Mark Kamleiter, co-chairman of the Pinellas County Greens.
"Even if (votes) are being counted correctly, and the people don't believe it, we have a problem," Kamleiter said Monday during a meeting with two members of the St. Petersburg Times editorial board.
Added Arlin Briley: "The electronic voting machine is a big issue in terms of voter confidence." Briley is a coalition organizer who also is vice chairman of the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee.
Some coalition members say the county's best option is to sell its $14-million worth of touch screen voting machines for a different system. But the important point, they said, is to create a verifiable paper record of individual ballots. Another option would be to plug computer printers into the existing system, making printouts of ballots.
The Election Reform Coalition of Pinellas County plans to explain this and several other recommendations to the Pinellas County Commission during a meeting today. Members also have a Web site, www.ERCPinellas.org In addition to Democrats, Greens and Libertarians, the group's supporters include the NAACP, NOW, Citizens for Fair Campaign Practices of Pinellas County and the Pinellas Progressives.
Coalition members also support the creation of an advisory board for the supervisor of elections to field complaints and suggest voting system changes.
[Last modified June 7, 2005, 02:15:48]
Share your thoughts on this story
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Letter to the editor
