Large county to hand count, saves up to $288,000
Bev Harris
areas for any election with a non-complex ballot. Marion County is
Indianapolis. They tested their voting machines, but these will be used only
upon request; the rest of the votes are hand-marked paper ballots and will be
hand counted. The ballot has four questions on it. The county estimates this
will save $288,000 - OR $22,000, depending on how you read the article.
Now for three little devils in the details: (1) Will the hand counting be
central or will it be performed at the polling place? Central count removes
chain of custody from public view. (2) Will the hand counting be public or will
it be private? Some states are party-centric, allowing only political party
representatives, and these states sometimes claim that even party
representatives are not allowed to view the process in an election that is for
a nonpartisan issue; and (3) Just a note, Early Voting does increase risks with
chain of custody.
Here's the news story:
WIBC News - Oct. 26, 2009, by Eric Berman
http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1155434
Early Voting Continuing in Marion County
Three more early-voting centers have opened for Marion County's referendum
election next week.
About 700 people have voted over the last three weeks at the City-County
Building. 700 more turned out over the weekend for their first chance to vote
at satellite locations at the Healthplex on West 10th Street; the Devington
Plaza strip mall at 46th and Arlington; and at the Beech Grove Community
Center.
For five out of six voters, the only item on the ballot is the referendum on
building a new Wishard Hospital. But the Beech Grove and Franklin and Perry
Township Schools are seeking approval for construction projects. Marion County
Clerk Beth White says with the concentration of school referenda on the south
side, about half the weekend voting traffic was at the Beech Grove polling
place.
Passage of the school referenda would allow property-tax hikes in those
districts beyond the state tax caps. Wishard contends it can complete its $750
million project without a tax increase.
The county has successfully conducted the state-required test of its voting
machines. But the touch-screen machines will be available only on request, and
the county's optical-scan machines won't be used at all. ,MOST VOTERS WILL
MARK YES OR NO ON AN OLD-FASHIONED PAPER BALLOT AND STUFF IT IN A CARDBOARD
BOX. POLLWORKERS WILL COUNT THEM BY HAND AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE.
There are only four questions on the ballot, and no precinct has more than two
-- officials say not having to test the optical scanners and haul them to the
polling places will save more than $22,000 dollars.
White says with other efficiencies taken in response to the simplicity of the
election, the vote will cost $288,000 less than it otherwise would.
Wishard and the school systems are footing the $1.2 million bill for the
election. Wishard is paying most of that total, since most precincts will vote
only on the hospital referendum.
Bev Harris
Founder - Black Box Voting
http://www.blackboxvoting.org
* * * * *
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people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right
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