http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-34/113754685244770.xml&storylist=penn
PennLive.com
1/17/2006
The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Activists in Bucks County filed two
lawsuits Tuesday to block plans to replace lever voting machines in the 24
counties that use them.
State officials say the lever machines must be replaced
under the 2002 federal Help America Vote Act, an outgrowth of the balloting
problems that plagued the 2000 presidential election, and are working with
counties to replace them before the May 16 primary.
The plaintiffs in the Commonwealth Court suits maintain that
state officials are misinterpreting the federal law and that most of the
computerized voting systems certified so far lack voter-verified paper ballots
that they say are crucial for potential recounts. They want the court to halt
efforts to replace the lever machines until that and concerns about the
security of the new systems are resolved.
"It's really simple. All we want is a verifiable
vote," said Tom Lingenfelter of Doylestown, one of two prospective
legislative candidates who filed one of the suits. The other suit was filed by
a group called the Coalition for Voting Integrity.
State Department spokeswoman Allison J. Hrestak said the
five computerized touch-screen systems that have been certified so far all
feature internal systems that generate a paper record of the votes cast, which
can be retrieved and reviewed if recounts are necessary.
Pennsylvania's counties, which administer the state's
elections, were supposed to upgrade or replace their voting systems by the end
of last year, but have been granted additional time by the State Department.
While all 67 counties applied for federal money to help them
comply, the state is still in the process of certifying the reliability of
voting machines and none of the counties has purchased any equipment or
software, Hrestak said. Still, she said, state officials remain optimistic that
all counties will have compliant systems in place in time for the primary.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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