2003 Year in Review

County Clerk Looks at Voting Machines

HAVA (Help America Vote Act) will change the way Whiteside County Votes.

With the 2004 Presidential Election just a year away, will Whiteside County be voting on the old punch cards again? Probably, according to Whiteside County Clerk Dan Heusinkveld. HAVA (Help America Vote Act) was supposed to change the way we voted by November 2004. But the State of Illinois recently received a two-year waver so now they are looking toward 2006.

Currently there is a federal lawsuit against Whiteside and other counties that alleges the punch card system discriminates against Latin and African American voters. The lawsuit is about to be settled without any admission or finding of guilt but has incurred $60,000 of attorney fees. Approximately ninety percent of Illinois counties use punch cards.

Recently Heusinkveld went into Chicago to look at voting machines from 24 different companies. There are basically three systems available at this time: the punch card system currently being used, an optical scanner, and DRE (Direct Recording Equipment).

The simplest, cheapest, and most efficient way to vote is the optical scanner. Most voters would receive a paper ballot and would fill in the oval like students fill in an answer sheet. The ballot would be slid into the scanner and if there is an error, the system would immediately kick back the ballet. Errors would include over voting (voting for too many candidates in one area) or under voting (voting for too few). If you chose to under vote the system would be told to ignore the under vote. One machine would be used at each precinct. Heusinkveld is looking to combine precincts to reduce the number of machines needed from 60 to 40. At the end of the day, judges would either use a modem or memory card to download the information and have it sent to the courthouse. The system is “very quick”.

The problem with the system is that it is not handicapped friendly so that brings in the need for a DRE or touch screen. The ballot would show up on the screen and the voter touches the information on the screen to vote. The information changes color and would let the voter know if they under voted and would not let them over vote. The machine would kick out a “receipt” of how the person voted. Headphones could be used for the visually impaired and other equipment would make this more handicapped accessible. Every precinct would have to have a touch screen available. Currently the State Board of Elections has not approved any touch screens, but as part of the lawsuit, they will have to.

Manufacturers are still developing new systems and currently have no machines for the “Helen Keller” disabled (hearing and sight impaired). The county is hoping that technology and prices improve by the time they are ready to buy. More competition and production could make them more affordable. Also in the next year there might be an improvement in technology.

The cost? The federal government has financed part of the mandate to $33 million. Each precinct would receive just under $3200 so Whiteside County would receive $195,000 to $200,000. The optical scanners cost between $4500 and $6500 each. The touch screens cost $3000 to $4500 each. They can be purchased or leased. They also come with a contract to set up the machines for each election. At current costs the county would have to pay for part of the change over.

Another change brought about by HAVA, is provisional voting. If a person has registered and goes into vote but the precinct judges has no record of their registration, currently they could not let that person vote. Under changes that start January 2004, the person would be allowed to vote and then the County Clerk’s Office has 14 days to decide if the person was registered and eligible to vote.

HOVA also encourages voting education in schools. The mandate requires no taxpayer money be spent for the education. Heusinkveld is willing to help schools with mock elections or will speak to classrooms about the election process. He has spent 49 years in the County Clerk’s office and 33 years as the County Clerk.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
November 6, 2003