In an effort to replace the punch card voting system, counties
across Southern California are introducing electronic voting
devices for today’s primary election.
San Diego and San Bernardino counties are implementing a new
touch screen voting device today, and Orange County will be
implementing an eSlate electronic device that will allow voters to
make their selections by using a dial.
In Los Angeles County, though Touch screens were used for early
voting, the optical scan system InkaVote still will be used in
booths today.
Bill Rowley, legislative analyst for the Orange County registrar
of voters, said the new eSlate machines make voting simpler and
more accurate.
The new system also is said to be easily accessible to disabled
voters and to provide them with more privacy. With electronic
systems, more disabled voters would be able to vote without
assistance.
Rowley said out of over 4,700 voters that used the system during
the early voting period for today’s election, most people
responded positively to the electronic system.
Orange County is the only county in California that will use the
eSlate voting device.
Both the touch screen and eSlate voting systems eliminate the
possibility of a double vote, a problem that plagued the
now-presumed defunct punch card voting system.
With the old punch card system, many ballots were invalidated
because of double voting. In the new electronic systems, the
machine will not allow voters to make more than one selection.
With the eSlate machines, if a voter makes more than one
selection, the last selection overrides any previous
selections.
Both kinds of electronic voting machines will feature
instructions in multiple languages.
Gina McFeely, a clerk in the San Diego voter registration
department, said that during public demonstrations of the device
people have said the machine is much easier and faster to use than
punch cards.
The touch screen voting machines have been successfully used in
Riverside County since 2000 in 27 elections in 714 precincts.
In Los Angeles County, over 40,000 registered voters
used the touch screen voting system during the early voting
period from Feb.13 to 27 in 16 polling locations countywide.
Marcia Ventura, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County registrar
of voters, said early voting with the touch screen system went
smoothly.
Los Angeles County has been using the touch screen system for
early voting and small elections since 2000.
Currently, InkaVote, a system that functions much like a punch
card, is used for major elections in Los Angeles. InkaVote
functions like the punch card system, but instead of punching a
hole it makes an ink mark.
InkaVote is the interim voting system to replace the banned
punch card system until touch screens can be put in place.
Ventura added Los Angeles County currently does not have the
money to buy enough touch screen voting machines for large
elections.