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Marion County Clerk Beth White today says a legal opinion by Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita will cost taxpayers thousands of dollars and put the May 6 primary in jeopardy. White had originally planned to use paper ballots for the March 11 special election for the 7th Congressional District, thereby freeing up the County’s voting machines for the May primary.
However at this morning’s election board meeting, White said Rokita’s legal opinion was that the paper ballots violated federal law and the County had to use electronic voting machines. White wanted to use paper ballots and allow electronic voting on-demand, because of the short time period between the two elections. White says the machines need to be programmed for each election and there is not enough time to do it between the two elections.
White said while she strongly disagreed with Rokita’s opinion and said it lacked common sense, she said she did not have the energy to fight Rokita and accused him of playing politics and parroting the Marion County Republicans criticism of her office. Matt Tusing, Rokita’s Chief of Staff, says they are not playing politics but advising White to comply with the law.
Marion County GOP Chairman Tom John says White can have the machines ready for both the March 11 and May 6 primaries, she just has to tell ES & S, the company which owns the machines, to do so.
White says because of Secretary of State’s opinion the County may have to spend up to $250,000 to buy or rent new machines for the May 6 primary and she can’t guarantee the election will go smoothly.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
“she can’t guarantee the election will go smoothly”
That’s a given. She can’t make ANY election go smoothly.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Why would she need more machines for the May 6th primary ? They can not reconfigure the machiens in 7 weeks ? When is the earliest they can configure them ? What is the cur off date for people to be able to be on the ballot ?
February 13th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Since when are paper ballots illegal? That’s complete BS.
The problem isn’t that paper ballots are illegal - the problem is that paper ballots can’t be manipulated like electronic ballots. I think we need lots of witnesses for this election. The funny business has already begun.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Todd Rokita - what a genius!
February 13th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Wow my partys election official can’t guarantee the election will go smoothly. perhaps next election the voters can guarantee that her exit will go smoothly and we will find a competetent election official in marion county…..
February 13th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
It wouldn’t surprise me that Rokita is playing games, wouldn’t be the first time he’s messed with voting machines. Why can’t everyone just work their butts off and do the right thing for the people? Pretty SIMPLE
REMEMBER NOVEMBER
February 13th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Beth, you’re telling us you cannot reset machines in a 2 month’s time period? You’re really the one “playing politics” here!
February 13th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Isn’t it long past time to reduce the number of precincts or has that common sense step already been taken?
February 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
“the problem is that paper ballots can’t be manipulated like electronic ballots.”
Let see - they can destroyed, misplaced, mis counted . . .
February 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Don’t blame Rokita for (unconstitutional) federal voting laws. He is probably correct, though from the above, I cannot tell what is specifically illegal.
The “electronic systems” used in much of Marion County involve filling out a paper ballot that is electronically read. These can prevent issues by comparing the precinct level numbers with the voter registration books–and the physical ballots.
The method being proposed by White involved transporting paper ballots–uncounted–to a central location where they would be counted. I cannot imagine a method more likely to be tampered with.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Abbie, 17 homicides
February 13th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
It looks like Lubbers will have a worthy opponent in the primaries (not just the libertarian-Keltner) but, a republican contender…If White doesn’t screw things up.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Yep, it’s politics. OH by the way. This primary may generate a democratic 40% turnout vs a normal 10% to 12% with Barack and Hillary engaged here. Something that makes it political in the 7th district too I’m thinking.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Hmmm…I have a hard time listening to anything Beth “Incompetent” White has to say.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Hey Abdul anyway you can find out just how hard it is to reprogram these voting machines? I can’t believe it’s rocket science.
February 14th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Maybe they would have enough voting machines if the Dem’s didn’t let several of them get stolen from an unattended car at Binklie’s in Broad Ripple while drinking after the slating of Andre’ Carson!
Less Alcohol and More Attention to Detail!
February 14th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Abdul, please clarify this story, there is a lot of misinformation out there.
1. The “paper ballots” which are the opti-scan color-in-the-circle ballots which are used by almost all voters in recent elections WILL STILL BE USED.
2. The opti-scan paper ballots WILL STILL BE RUN THROUGH AT A CENTRAL LOCATION as White originally planned. Rokita did not object to that.
3. The issue is with the “touch-screen” machines that are for disabled voters (though anyone can use them but few do). White planned to use only 40-50 of those for 300+ voting places (incl. some w. multiple precincts) and if someone came in to dispatch one of the machines from nearby location if there wasn’t one at that polling place. THAT was what Rokita objected to- the potential 5-10-15 minute wait for those voters. So all polling locations will have a touch screen (though most people won’t use them).
FWIW, White’s claim is that if there is a contest, machines have to be impounded, that is why they couldn’t be reprogrammed & tested in time for May if they had to use 300+ for this election. Don’t know how truthful that is. I know the primary ballots are very complicated since practically every precinct has a different “ballot” due to overlapping districts of all kinds, and downballot stuff like committee delegate elections, plus you have to program it for both D and R ballots which is more complicated than a fall general election.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I just got some information just like you posted a few mins ago from a friend who works for a different voting machine company.
The key is if there is enough time from when the special election is certified and the may 6th date to reprogram and test all of the machines - optical and touch screen.
The real question is when would they hae normally started to work on the machines for the primary and the latest date they can work on them now - just a few days difference ? a few weeks ? Maybe pay some over time to make upf or the lost time ?
Personally I do not like the idea of the ballots being marked at the polling site then moved to a different site before they are actually scanned and counted.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Also - wouldn’t you need just 1 opti-scan machine per polling site since all of the ballots are the same. So instead of needing 900+ machines you just need 600 or so ? The ones not used can be setup ahead of time for the primary and the rest can be reset for the primary after the special election has been certified.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
So many posts, so much idiocy, so little time…
Marion County purchased the voting machines from an approved vendor list which included only three companies. All are big-time Republican contributors. No huge secret.
The machines are not great. After the Mar. 11 special election, whose programming is simple (3 candidates, one office), the machines must, by law, be frozen until the results are certified. A recount would delay it even further. No one would deny a challenger the right to seek a recount in a close election, whomever that candidate might be.
After the certification process, the programming must begin for the primary. There are over 200 candidates, and a total of 3,500-3,700 multiple choice opportunities. All must be programmed. The particular vendor for these machines is not one of the best, and their avilability is hard-pressed during the election season. The reprogramming is done, in large part, by outside vendors, not Clerk’s Office employees. Speeding up that process requires–TA DAHH–more people and more money. And there is a serious question whether it can even be adequately done.
Before the 2006 primary, when there were about 60% of the 08 possibilities, the clerk reported to the Rpeublican Election Board that she’d need 75 days to reprogram the computers.
Do the math, as simple as it sounds.
This has nothing to do with Beth White’s dismal performance in May 2007. It has everything to do with a horrid vendor choice by an inept prior Clerk and Election Board, and the turn-around time for reprogramming.
Without proper reprogramming time, mark my words, there will be errors. Not in staffing polling places, but in reporting of the multiple ballot options.
For instance: You could pull a Republican primary ballot, vote for only one township board member, and a non-partisan school board election. And quit. Or vote for everey office but president.
See the endless possibilities? We chose machines that are not viewed, by the industry, as good. We reap what we sew.
Back off Rokita. Or we’ll bring up your travel vouchers. Or drop a house on you.
February 16th, 2008 at 9:54 am
One thing to remember is that they can START Working on the machines that were NOT used in the special election once the ballot is set. They can get those done and out of the way with early and then start working on the rest after the election is certified.
How many machines was Beth going to use at the special location ? 1 machine for each precinct ? How would they track which votes come from which precincts ? Were they going to have to reprogram each machine for each box from diff precincts or were they all going to run through a dozen machines and be mixed all together.