10/19/05 In their Aug. 30 commentary, the Delaware County Elections commissioners asserted that state law limits choices on Help America Vote Act compliance. By focusing upon a factual result, they attempted to suppress public criticism and misdirect attention from the cause. The reason for those limits is that the HAVA process in New York has not been conducted in a manner appropriate for a democracy. The commissioners disingenuously offered to consider Paper Ballot Optical Scan machines, should any manufacturers decide to provide ones with full-face ballot capability. They are aware that is unlikely — absent the insistence of a large portion of the electorate. New York state has allowed the manufacturers to decide which machines they will submit for state compliance certification. Acting in their own interest — rather than the voters’ — the manufacturers can be relied upon to only provide the highest-profit-margin types of machines, which are the most complex and expensive. Accustomed to short-term planning, and seduced by federal pork, most county officials will eagerly accept these electronic Trojan horses, which will continue to be more expensive in the future, when local taxpayers will have to foot the bill for repairs, maintenance and replacement. The commissioners boasted of the July meeting, in which they allowed five county officials to see the vendor-supplied technology being considered. Why wasn’t the public included? Their advice to concerned citizens is indicative of the general problem. Rather than have opinions aired, in the sunshine of public forums, the commissioners urged concerned voters to meet with them in private, at their offices. In a democracy, the public servants would consult with the voters first, channel their concerns upward to Albany, which would then direct manufacturers to produce equipment meeting the specifications that the voters desired. David J. Cyr, Delhi