Thread: Governor Crist Wants Florida to Have a Paper Trail

Crist's plan to replace touch-screen voting machines draws some calls for caution

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... -headlines

By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted February 1 2007


Gov. Charlie Crist's move to scrap Florida's controversial touch-screen voting machines won't produce immediate change -- and may produce some political controversy of its own.

The governor is set to formally unveil the proposal today with U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton. In a preview Wednesday before a gathering of Florida newspaper editors and reporters, the governor said the move is dictated by lingering memories of the 2000 presidential election debacle and public desire for a paper record of votes in case a recount is needed.

"What could be more important to democracy than ensuring the integrity of our elective process? It's at the very foundation of it all," Crist said.

Crist didn't offer details. Cost estimates of equipping each of the roughly 4,300 touch-screen precincts with at least one optical scanner that reads paper ballots range from $25 million to $35 million. Wexler, a longtime political friend of the Republican governor, said Crist would recommend spending enough money to buy optical scan machines for Palm Beach, Broward and the 13 other counties with electronic, touch-screen voting.

The governor next needs to sell his plan to the Legislature. Not everyone thinks scrapping the machines is the right thing to do.

"It's possibly a very good idea. I have some concerns about the cost," said state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, a member of the House majority leadership team who represents Palm Beach and Broward counties.

"What needs to come out of this is a debate on a menu of options," she said.

State Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, was cautious. "I don't necessarily want to say that we'll scrap them all."

Like Crist, Constantine said the state is still feeling the effects of the 2000 presidential election, which devolved into chaos after the close Florida results magnified the significance of election irregularities, and George W. Bush was declared the winner over Al Gore after weeks of recounting and court fights.

Constantine, chairman of the Ethics and Elections Committee, said county commissions and elections supervisors made decisions to buy touch-screen machines. "A lot of them would probably admit today that they probably rushed to judgment after the 2000 election and bought the new technology and may have buyer's remorse."

Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties spent more than $60 million on the touch-screen voting equipment.

Constantine said he wasn't sure state tax money should go to replace touch-screen machines in the 15 counties. "I'm not saying that we won't [pay for replacements]. But hopefully there's better options than that."

Senate Minority Leader Steven Geller, D-Cooper City, was more enthusiastic. "It appears to me right now that this would be a plan that the Democrats would be very supportive of."

Elections supervisors Arthur Anderson in Palm Beach County and Brenda Snipes in Broward endorsed the move to do away with touch-screen machines.

"It's a great, bold move," Snipes said. "If we can obtain the optical scans, it will go a long way toward restoring the voter confidence that we are struggling with right now."

Both said the touch-screen equipment works much better than many people believe, and that problems have been exaggerated. Experts differed on whether South Florida residents can expect to vote on new equipment in 2008.

Anderson said that isn't realistic. He has consulted with Crist's secretary of state, Kurt Browning, about the governor's plan, and said it envisions a changeover by 2010.

Russ Klenet, of Parkland, national director of governmental affairs for Elections Systems & Software Inc., said his company could supply enough machines in time for the 2008 election. ES&S is the largest manufacturer of optical scan voting machines in the country, and its brand of touch-screen machines are used in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Anderson cautioned people not to expect a panacea.

"There never will be a 100 percent perfect election," he said.

Tallahassee Bureau Chief Linda Kleindienst contributed to this report.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4550.

All elections should have a paper trail to ensure the integrity of the vote.