SMETHPORT – If all goes as planned, McKean County will have new
electronic voting machines in place by April.

That’s the word from the county commissioners, who unanimously
authorized a resolution during the panel’s meeting Tuesday allowing
for the encumbrance of a total of $421,902.30 in funding through
the Pennsylvania Department of State as part of the federal Help
America Vote Act (HAVA).

County Administrator Richard Casey said following the meeting
that roughly $320,000 will be used on the actual machines, with the
difference going towards upgrading voting precincts across the
county for handicap accessibility.

Commissioner Chairman John Egbert said the county has not
received the funding yet, adding he expects the machines will be
delivered sometime in April – just prior to the state’s May 16
primary election.

“That’s cutting it pretty close,” Egbert said.

The resolution passed Tuesday is retroactive to Dec. 6, 2005.
The grant money needed to be encumbered by the county by Dec. 31,
2005.

According to Casey, the county could end up receiving 70
machines for the county’s 42 voting districts. Casey said officials
want at least two machines in each precinct and others as backups
that can be “moved around” on election day if needed.

“We are going to try and get as many machines as we can,” Casey
said in regards to using all $320,000 in funding.

Congress passed HAVA in October 2002. The legislation called for
the creation of the United States Election Assistance Commission,
the panel that provides guidelines to the states. The panel
provided its first draft of voting systems’ guidelines last
May.

Director of Elections Judy Ordiway said last November that each
voting district has been allotted $8,000. There are currently 41
districts in the county – excluding Sergeant Township which has
decided to continue with paper ballots per referendum – that are in
line for the electronic system; the county currently uses
lever-type automatic voting machines.

The commissioners have investigated a handful of options for the
machines, including the UniLect (Patriot), Diebold and Electronic
Systems Software (ESS) systems. The UniLect system had been
decertified by the state.

Ordiway said the electronic systems are a little larger than a
suitcase, with a more rectangular screen. The machines come
equipped with safeguards for voters making mistakes during the
process and will be able to handle write-in candidates.

The official tabulation will still be done at the elections
office at the courthouse, according to Ordiway.

Egbert said the county will not be buying printers to provide a
voter a verifiable record of their choices on election day. He said
the state hasn’t authorized that purchase and even if the county
spent its own funds to buy the printers, the state would forbid the
equipment from being used.