(TX) Wharton County to buy 26 AutoMark ballot markers to comply with HAVA

[Wilms]

New voting machines would help disabled

Wharton County approves letter of intent to buy 26 machines to comply with Help Americans Vote Act

April 28, 2005

BARRY HALVORSON
Victoria Advocate

WHARTON - The Wharton County could have 26 new voting machines by November.

On Monday the commissioners court approved a letter of intent to purchase new voting machines from ES&S AutoMARK and asked for a November delivery to comply with the Help Americans Vote Act.

According to the federal voting act, counties must have at least one voting machine designed for use by disabled people for each voting precinct by Jan. 1, 2006.

-snip-

The machines ordered by the county cost $5,400 each. The county has $54,000 set aside in this year's budget for the machines. It has also received various grants that should cover the remaining cost of the equipment. The judge said that if the county purchases the machines from ES&S, it would have to pay for them within 30 days of receiving the machines.

-snip/more-

http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/local/local/story/2744088p-3176176c.html

[Kip Humphrey]

1. Fort Bend County in Texas approves paperless machines

Fort Bend County in Texas approves paperless machines.

http://www.herald-coaster.com/articles/2005/04/27/news/news02.txt



County Judge Bob Hebert said federal and state governments tested the machines. The machines themselves, he said, are not connected to the Internet or other network, making it impossible to tamper with the voting results remotely.

"Yeah, people could tamper with them, but it would have to be a conspiracy of hundreds to pull it off," he said. "There's always been tampering with paper ballots."

He said Texas law does not allow elections officials to use the voter-verifiable paper ballot in the event of a recount on electronic machines.

"So it would serve no purpose under the Texas Election Code to have those two steps," he said.


Aw, life in Southeast Texas!

[davidgmills]

3. Makes no sense to go from an optical scan with a paper trail

to an electronic system that the state does not require to have a paper trail for.

Damn the lobbyists

[elehhhhna]

2. Gotta hurry on those in Fort Bend--it's DeLay's district!

If he can't hack the vote, he's GONE.