Machines would enable disabled to cast votes without assistance

By Tom Grace

Cooperstown News Bureau

The New York State Board of Elections, under fire from the federal Justice Department, plans to have new ballot-marking devices in place throughout the state by September.

If installed on time, these devices will permit disabled persons to vote at polling places without assistance from other people, as mandated by the federal Help America Vote Act.

Originally, the BOE had planned to replace all of the state’s lever-type voting machines before September, when primaries will be held in advance of the general elections. However, the state Legislature was slow to enact laws outlining the conversion, and the BOE has faced criticism over its proposed voting regulations, leading to multiple revisions.

Many elections officials have said it is too late to convert all polling places this year, but state officials have come up with "Plan B," Lee Daghlian, a spokesman for the state BOE, said Tuesday.

The plan has two components. One is a statewide database of voters, which would be operational before the September primary.

The other is an effort to place machines that couple with optical scanners to allow disabled people to vote without assistance, or machines that allow people to vote at polling places using telephone keypads.

Last week, the state BOE sent letters to all the county boards of elections apprising them of the choices available.

Not every county board of elections was pleased with this news, Daghlian said, because counties don’t want to spend money on a system that may not last for more than a year.

"But they may not have a choice, if that’s what the judge orders," he said.

Two weeks ago, New York was sued by the Justice Department, which is trying to speed up the conversion process in the state. State and federal officials have been trying to work out a timetable for changing the way New Yorkers vote.

Gary Sharpe, the federal judge for the Northern District of New York, who is hearing the case, will have the last word on the matter, Daghlian said.

Sharpe may order state officials to demand county officials install handicapped-accessible voting equipment at every polling station before September. Under this scenario, most voters in the state would be using lever machines, and disabled persons would use the new equipment.

Sheila Ross, Otsego County’s Republican deputy elections commissioner, said Tuesday that last week’s memorandum from the state came as a surprise.

"Right now, I don’t have much to say about it, because we’re waiting for the state board to tell us what comes next," she said.

Ross and Daghlian said one of the biggest drawbacks, from the counties’ perspective, is spending money on a system that is not necessarily going to last very long. Otsego County is in line to receive about $600,000 from the state, which received the money from the federal government.

Janice Burdick, Democratic deputy elections commissioner in Delaware County, said the state BOE’s latest proposal is under study by county commissioners William Campbell and William Buccheri.