http://www.journal-register.com/local/local_story_167093708.html
June 16, 2006
To comply with lawsuit, counties must quickly make
adjustments
By Holly Weber
weberh@gnnewspaper.com
— ALBION — Better late than never.
Voting systems in the state will soon undergo a makeover to
comply with the Help America Vote Act, but New York is hardly ahead of the
curve.
“New York State is the last in the country to implement
HAVA,” John Jennings of NTS Data Services said.
Congress passed HAVA to update voting equipment and
registration processes in the wake of irregularities in the 2000 national
elections.
The law requires states to make sure all counties implement
the changes, which include the replacement of lever voting machines and
creation of a statewide voter registration database.
Because of the state’s non-compliance with HAVA, the
Department of Justice filed suit against the state Board of Elections and the
state itself. After revising a plan, New York was given extended deadlines to
comply with the law. In order to get Orleans County up-to-date, a new computer
system for voter registration must be implemented.
Jennings and Mark Rossman gave the Orleans County
Legislature a preview of what the system entails at its meeting Wednesday.
“Congress decided there was potential for voter fraud,”
Jennings said. “(The new system) would pick up if someone is registered in two
counties.”
The system possibly could have eliminated the controversy
surrounding the Albion mayoral election in March, where accusations arose that
people voted who lived outside the village. That case is still under
investigation.
The new registration database would allow election officials
to search for a voter by registration number, first or last name, address or
other demographic information. Once the name comes up, the official can see
where the voter is registered, where they live, when they registered and
automatically place them in a voting district based on address. Because it’s
statewide, the system can tell if someone is registered in different locations.
Jennings said the program needs to be implemented soon.
“They mandate this happens in a very short time frame,” he
said.
Rossman said the new system would create “enhanced
productivity in the office” by having all the information on one screen.
“The system incorporates a very sophisticated street code
system and ZIP code finder,” he said.
Orleans County Election Commissioners Helen Zelazny and
Dennis Piedimonte were also at the presentation. Jennings said the county
officials have been productive with the resources they were given.
“They’ve been doing a good job, but they didn’t have all the
tools that are required,” he said.
New York has been given an extension, to 2007, to fully
comply with HAVA, but certain aspects, like the database, need to be in place
sooner.
Contact Holly Weber at (585) 798-1400, Ext. 2225.
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