In Focus This Week
Debate over machine maintenance costs continues in New Mexico
Legislation relieving counties vetoed
By Sean Greene
electionline.org
Voting machines don’t come cheap. States and localities have spent millions of dollars over the past five-plus years on new systems that can cost in excess of $5,000 each.
Yet the costs are not limited to a one-time purchase of equipment. Machines must be maintained, repaired, programmed and stored for as long as they remain in use. And some localities are learning that costs can add up.
County clerks in New Mexico admitted some sticker shock last year when they received bills for maintaining their optical-scan tabulators manufactured by Omaha, Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software (ES&S). The systems were new to some counties after the state mandated and paid for a statewide paper-ballot system in 2006.
“It was news to me,” said Lynn Ellins, elections supervisor for Dona Ana County. “The clerks had no participation in the original maintenance agreement between the state and ES&S.”
While the state bought the machines, keeping them working was left to the counties, a fact that has surprised and frustrated some local clerks and officials.
“Since a paper-ballot voting system was mandated by state law and this system was purchased by the state, most clerks feel the state should be responsible for the costs of printing ballots and maintenance, which is an expensive and ongoing cost,” said Melinda Hughes, Lea County clerk.
Hughes added it is even more disappointing because while the county is troubled by the maintenance expense, they are quite happy with the performance of the ES&S optical scanners that have been in place since November 2006.
Maintenance can include inspecting machines, replacing or repairing machines or parts not in working condition, providing loaner systems if needed and routine services such as cleaning, lubricating and calibrating machines.
Bernalillo County clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver said cost she has been quoted by ES&S is too high. (Note: Bernalillo County is participating in an unrelated audit study of voting systems funded through the University of New Mexico by Pew’s Make Voting Work.)
“The original invoices submitted were based on the assumption that clerks would buy into the so-called ‘gold level’ maintenance program offered by ES&S. At the current price agreement [in place through the state department of finance], if we were to contract with ES&S to perform preventative maintenance on our equipment it would cost us approximately $286,000,” she said.
The county, the state’s most populous, is currently performing ad-hoc maintenance through a local vendor.
The cost to Lea County annually would be $33,620; for Dona Ana County, approximately $79,000. None of the counties has yet to sign an agreement.
ES&S spokesman Ken Fields said these proposed costs are consistent with similar services they provide in other jurisdictions across the country.
New Mexico officials said they were also displeased with ES&S’ decision not to train county technicians to perform any maintenance. They have been told by ES&S that the company is best equipped to take care of the systems.
“It has been our experience that maintaining and servicing that technology with highly trained staff has been the most effective approach for the jurisdictions we serve. ES&S is fully committed to helping jurisdictions meet their ongoing needs for equipment maintenance in a cost-efficient manner through the use of highly trained technical support staff,” said Fields.
Hughes said she, and others, have been forced into a continuing and inflexible relationship with the company that sold them their wares.
“It seems ES&S has the state and the counties over a barrel: we have no other options but to deal with this company which appears long on salesmanship and short on service,” she said.
James Flores, a spokesman for New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera (D) said the office was pursuing a software maintenance program with ES&S. The office will also be sending two employees of the bureau of elections to an ES&S facility in Omaha to be trained. The two employees will be available to counties for questions when they complete the training.
In a related development, legislation recently passed to relieve counties of maintenance costs was vetoed by Governor Bill Richardson (D). In his veto message Richardson cited last minute changes to the bill that took place without full debate and was concerned that the legislation did not specify where money for the state to take over maintenance would come from.
While some clerks were disappointed with the veto, Toulouse Oliver remains hopeful something will be worked out.
“The governor has recently expressed a desire to ensure that the machines are covered and is working with the secretary of state and state board of finance to see if the state can offer financial assistance to the counties in order to enable us to afford these services at their current high cost,” she said.
However for now this still leaves counties in a wait-and-see mode.
“We’re stuck,” Ellins said. “Everything is in limbo.”
Election Reform News This Week
Florida Democrats said this week that they will go ahead with a proposal for a vote-by-mail presidential primary as a do-over of the Jan. 29 election. According to the Associated Press, the party is trying to finalize plans and hopes to have a proposal ready by press time, said Sen. Steve Geller. There would be a 30-day review period and then the party’s executive committee would vote April 12 on whether to hold the election, he said. The party would run the election, rather than having the state oversee it. It would hire private voting machine companies to conduct the count, along with an accounting firm to oversee it and make sure it is done accurately. Geller believes state elections offices could be paid 10 cents per ballot returned to verify signatures.
As the weather changes, so too does the situation with Colorado’s voting systems. This week, Secretary of State Mike Coffman has apparently changed his mind about paper ballots. According to The Rocky Mountain News, Coffman is now pushing the position of county clerks against a paper voting bill in the legislature even though he previously endorsed that system for this year’s elections. Coffman is urging the governor and lawmakers to defer to county clerks, who oppose a bill that would implement paper ballot voting at polling sites statewide for the August primary and November general election. Josh Liss, Jefferson County deputy of elections, said Coffman’s support helps. The alliance may not sway lawmakers to defeat Senate Bill 189, the paper voting proposal that has cleared one Senate committee and is scheduled to go before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday. The bill is backed by Gov. Bill Ritter and top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Voters in Mississippi became the latest Americans to weigh in on their choice for presidential candidates this week and for the most part, things went smoothly, although there were reports of minor problems. According to the Clarion Ledger, most problems involved malfunctioning voting machines or not enough machines at some polls, but it appears that election workers were getting used to the state’s new electronic voting system. Several counties reported problems with the new machines last year, leading many to require more training. And despite predictions of only about 150,000 voters turning out, nearly 600,000 registered voters actually made their way to the polls on Tuesday. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann (R) told the Sun Herald that he likely wouldn’t try and predict election turnout numbers again.
A bill that would have allowed for more vote centers in Indiana died in the state legislature. According to the Indianapolis Star, both the House and Senate support the concept of vote centers, but the House approved a version of the bill that also allows voters to cast absentee ballots by mail without giving an excuse, a provision Senate Republicans oppose. In North Dakota, two counties will be trying out vote centers for the first time this election year. While 22 of the state’s 53 counties will move to a vote-by-mail system Stutsman and Stark counties will begin using vote centers. “I’m excited about it,” Alison Schulz, county auditor told the Grand Forks Herald. “It’s going to be change. People are going to get a little frustrated to start with, but once they totally understand how nice it’s going to be, I think they’ll be happy about it.”
Opinions This Week
Colorado: Paper ballots; Voting system
Florida: Write-in votes
Georgia: Secretary of State endorsements
Kansas: Polling places
Massachusetts: Same-day registration
Minnesota: Voter ID
Mississippi: Election reform legislation, II
New Jersey: Frequency of elections
Ohio: Vote-by-mail; Successful elections; Cuyahoga County; Paper ballots; Primary performance; Secretary Brunner; Loyalty oaths; Vote counts
Pennsylvania: Election officials
Tennessee: Voting systems
Texas: Voter turnout;
Virginia: Chesterfield elections
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Job Postings This Week
All job listings must be received by 12 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday for publication in our Thursday newsletter. Job listings are free but may be edited for length. Whenever possible, include Internet information. Please email job postings to mmoretti@electionline.org
Counsel to the Inspector General/Chief Investigator — Federal Election Commission, Washington, D.C. Looking to do legal work in a challenging field, but maintain the balance between work and family? If so, the Federal Election Commission, Office of Inspector General is interested in you. Duties: responsible for all legal work and investigations for the OIG under the broad general direction of the IG and /or Deputy IG. The incumbent will provide legal advice and support to the IG on audit, investigative, and administrative issues. The Inspector General’s Office provides flexible schedules, the ability to work from home and a comprehensive Federal benefits package and supportive co-workers. Inquire today! Salary: $82,961 – $127,442. To apply, see vacancy number 08-020, www.fec.gov . Deadline: March 19, 2008.
Poll Monitoring/Exit Poll Coordinator — The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York City. AALDEF is national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, advocacy and community education. AALDEF has a 15-person staff and is supported by foundation and corporate grants, individual contributions, and special events. A one-year position is available in AALDEF’s Asian American Democracy Project. AALDEF’s Asian American Democracy Project seeks to promote fairness in the electoral process and invigorate the civic participation of Asian Americans, especially new citizens and persons not yet fluent in English. By expanding access to the electoral process for Asian Americans, AALDEF improves the quality of democracy for all Americans. The Poll Monitoring/Exit Poll Coordinator will manage several volunteers and work with other Asian American community groups to conduct a non-partisan exit poll of Asian American voters and an Election Day monitoring effort in twelve states. The job includes recruiting and training volunteers; supervising the development, translation and printing of materials; overseeing logistics for volunteer assignments; and giving educational presentations about the Project. The Coordinator will also oversee post-election follow-up and assist in writing a report about Asian American participation in the 2008 elections. Qualifications: Ability to supervise volunteers and work with a wide variety of community leaders and organizations; strong knowledge of MS Access and other database systems; bilingual ability in an Asian language, preferably Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese, is desirable; detail oriented and focused; strong organizational and communication skills; experience in community organizing is helpful; ability to travel and work on weekends. Application: Send a cover letter, resume, and three references to: Voting Rights Coordinator Search; AALDEF; 99 Hudson Street, 12th floor; New York, NY 10013-2815; fax: 212-966-4303; Email: info@aaldef.org (put “voting rights coordinator search” in the subject line). Deadline: Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until filled. For more information, contact Glenn D. Magpantay at 212-966-5932 or info@aaldef.org.