Published: April 30, 2008 07:41 am      

Funds available to make switch to paper ballots

Madison Fiscal Court is eligible for about $256,500 in federal funding to purchase paper ballot scanners for future elections if the court votes in favor of doing so.

Magistrates and Madison Judge-Executive Kent Clark received a presentation at Tuesday’s Fiscal Court meeting from Joe Harp of the Lexington-based company Harp Enterprises.

The company specializes in a variety of printing areas, including providing printed election materials such as paper voting ballots that are scanned by a machine.

Changing the Madison County election process from an all-electronic system to using paper ballots that are filled out by each voter may seem like the county government is going back in time, but it could make things simpler, said Magistrate Bill Tudor.

“I think the simplicity of it will impress people,” he said. “I think that older people distrust the electronics, so if they can visibly see where they’ve voted and put it in the box and it records the vote, they may have a better feeling about it.”

Neither the federal or state election commissions have officially mandated the use of paper ballots, but they are recommending the change at this time.

“The money has been designated through the Secretary of State,” Clark said. “It’s something that we’ll probably eventually go to. After you listen to an explanation, there are some really valid points to it.”

The fiscal court should go ahead and purchase the scanner boxes while the money is being allocated, Clark said.

There are 56 voting precincts in Madison County, plus an extra “precinct,” which is the absentee votes taken at the courthouse, said Madison County Clerk Billy Gabbard.

The money allocated would be $4,500 per precinct. The average election costs the county about $35,000, and by going to a paper ballot system, the cost could be decreased 25 to 35 percent.

“For a county our size, I think it’s the only way to go and remain compliant,” Gabbard said.

Clark encouraged magistrates to talk it over with their constituents and plans on meeting in the future to talk about what feedback was given throughout the county.

Magistrate Harold Botner, Jr. supports the change to paper ballots, but realizes that the transition may take time.

“I know there’s a lot of people who are not going to enjoy the change,” Botner said. “But I personally don’t have anything against it.”

It may not be a decision that the Madison Fiscal Court gets to make independently, said Magistrate Roger Barger.

“I don’t think we’ll have a choice if that’s what the state and federal government decide that’s what we need to do,” said Magistrate Roger Barger. “It’s just a matter of people accepting it. From what (Harp) explained to us this morning, I think it sounds good.”

The key to implementing a new voting system successfully depends on the amount of education the public receives about the change, said Magistrate Larry Combs.

“It’s hard to get people to go vote and I think we need to make it as simple as we possibly can,” Combs said.

His main concern with using paper voting ballots is making sure that every voter’s right to privacy is protected.

Voters are allowed to go behind a curtain when using the electronic machines, but if the county decides to choose paper ballots, each voter will go to a small cubicle area to fill out the ballot.

“It will be cheaper for the county and hopefully, it will be much, much speedier,” Combs said.

When people ask about the accuracy of electronic voting machines, election workers are not able to actually show voters how the machine works, Harp said.

“People will always want to know how the machine counts the votes,” he said. “As a professional, I can say that we’ve been certified by the federal board and elections and we’ve been tested by Johns Hopkins University. Does that mean anything to you? All I just said was ‘Well, you’re just going to have to trust me.’”

The nation has been in a debate about the best way to cast and count ballots since the 2000 general election debacle in Florida.

“In order to correct the bad taste that the country had in its mouth after the 2000 election, the federal and state election commissions are recommending that people go to paper ballot,” Harp said.

The handicap-accessible electronic voting machines will still be available at each precinct, even if the court votes to begin using paper ballots.

A date for the official vote was not determined at Tuesday’s meeting.

In other business:

• The court voted to give Clark permission to enter into an agreement with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commerce Cabinet.

The agreement was necessary so that the Fiscal Court can be reimbursed for funding used to construct a small park and boat ramp on 1.6 acres near the end of College Hill Road.

• Lane Nicely was hired as an employee of the Madison County Road Department and James Douglas King was hired as a Madison County animal control officer.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.