September 20, 2005

"Counting of paper ballots bases confidence on transparency"

"Voting machine custodian Maureen McGurn, foreground, joined by supervisor Pat Urbanski, uses sample ballots to test optical scanner.

Erie County Board of Elections officials demonstrated confidence in their paper ballot tabulation system Monday, even if some candidates remain wary of the potential for irregularities.

Because county budget cuts left the board without enough funding to support machine technicians, roughly 25 percent of county voters - residents of 13 towns - were forced to use old-fashioned paper ballots. Now elections officials begin to count those ballots, with results in the District 1 race for the County Legislature expected late today.

In the meantime, Republican Elections Commissioner Ralph M. Mohr and Democratic Deputy Commissioner Alonzo W. Thompson conducted a test on absentee ballots to strengthen public confidence in a system they say will prove fair and impartial. And after beginning their official count Monday of more than 85,000 ballots cast on paper in last week's primary elections, they said voters should have as much confidence as in machine ballots."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Posted by Randy Riddle at September 20, 2005 08:24 AM