The Athens County Board of Elections and the Athens County Commissioners yesterday decided how to update county voting machines in compliance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
After the meeting, the board voted on the subject for a third time, deciding against the newly approved touch-screen voting machines.
The board chose Elections System & Software's optical scan system, said Susan Gwinn, chairwoman of the Athens County Board of Elections. The optical scan system is similar to a standardized test and rejects ballots with errors, allowing a voter to fix the mistake.
The machines will cost about $550,000 and will be paid for by a state grant to comply with the voting act, Gwinn said.
There will be additional paper costs, but they will be less than the touch-screen costs, Gwinn said.
My first consideration was ease of use for voters and poll-workers
then money. Optical scan will give us both of those she said.
Touch-screen machines require counties to have a new voting machine for each voting booth and could have confused some citizens, such as elderly voters. Optical scan systems require only one machine in each voting location in addition to the machine for visually impaired or blind voters. Athens County has 50 voting locations. The system will be installed before Jan. 1, 2006.
We have to be in place by Jan. 1. I don't think anyone is anticipating being up and running for the November election Gwinn said.
The expected date depends on whether Elections System & Software, based in Omaha, Neb., will be able to provide the machines and employees needed to start the system, Gwinn said.
Also at the meeting, various applications for the Ohio Department of Development Community Action block grant for about $160,000 were discussed with Jessica Stroh, community development coordinator from the Hocking.Athens.Perry Community Action Program. The program helps commissioners decide what organizations receive grants, said Mark Sullivan, an Athens County commissioner.
The Department of Development gives the grant every year to a maximum of six projects, such as infrastructure and renovations. Commissioners will decide what will receive the grant Tuesday.
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