Utah BBV: Clerks fear delays without more e-voting machines

[gristy]

Utah is now talking about extending voting over 10 days to solve the problem that they can't afford to buy enough BBV machines. BBV: a high-tech money pit. States are slow to figure this out.

http://www.harktheherald.com/article.php?sid=95936&mode=thread&order=0

Clerks fear delays without more e-voting machines
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS on Saturday, September 27

SALT LAKE CITY -- Some Utah county clerks say they need more electronic voting machines than are currently planned if the state wants to avoid delays on Election Day.

The state's plan is to replace all of its punch-card systems with touch-screen electronic machines by 2006.

Clerks aren't so optimistic.

"I'm really, really concerned," Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen told the state's Plan Committee on Election Reform on Thursday.

-snip-


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[TinfoilHatProgrammer]

1. they're in for a big surprise

Wait till someone tells Sherrie Swensen she also needs another $1.9 million for receipt printers (based on an ES&S quote of $450 per machine) to print out their voter-verifiable audit trail.

JC

[gristy]

2. It's too bad they have such an emotional and political investment

in DRE. They could save a ton of money going to paper ballots and optical scan. I had a long conversation with a Utah elections person a while back. She was pretty receptive to what I said, but obviously I didn't change any minds.