PA electronic voting machine security

New York falls behind HAVA deadline

By TOM KANE

PIKE & WAYNE COUNTIES - Voters in Pennsylvania used electronic voting machines for the first time on Election Day, November 7.

County officials in both counties have testified that the machines are tamper-proof.

In Wayne, the machines were handed over to the election district judges on the previous Saturday. The machines were taken to each judge’s home until Tuesday morning.

“Each machine has a seal and a number,” Cindy Furman, director of the Wayne County Election Bureau, said prior to the election. “If it is discovered that the seal has been broken, the machine cannot be used and must be returned to the county election office immediately.”

A similar procedure was to be followed in Pike.

“Each machine will be taken to the election district on Tuesday morning by election custodians, who received the machines the night before,” Candy May, director of the Pike County Election Bureau, said prior to the election. The election custodians also took these machines home.

As in Wayne County, the machines were sealed. If a seal was found broken, the machine was removed and returned to the county office, as is done in Wayne.

New York and electronic machines

Voters in New York State did not cast their ballots on electronic machines but used the traditional lever-operated ones. New York fell behind in following the provisions of the federal Help America Voting Act (HAVA).

The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has sued the state of New York over delays in bringing the new voting machines to the state and complying with the requirements for handicapped voters, a provision of HAVA. The lawsuit contains an order which requires the state to promptly submit a plan demonstrating how it will come into full compliance.

Thus far, New York has received $220 million in federal funds to help comply with HAVA.

Because of its non-compliance, New York may lose the federal funds distributed by HAVA.