Company to help solve county voting glitches
WAYNESBURG – Workers from the company that manufactured the voting machines used by Greene County will be here next month to help calibrate the digital systems and offer support on Election Day to ensure the electronic ballot boxes are working properly.
The Greene County commissioners voted unanimously Thursday morning to pay $12,000 to Election Systems and Software for “professional services” before this year’s Nov. 3 general election for county, school board and municipal races.
The decision is in response to two minor glitches with the IvoTronics voting machines during the primary election in May.
“Turnout is already low in the county and nationally, and we don’t want people to wonder if their vote is being accurately recorded,” Greene County Commission Chairman Charles Morris said. “You need to do anything you can to assure that their vote is counted and that it matters.”
A voter at the Franklin East precinct told poll workers during the primary election his choice was incorrectly tallied when he went to review his ballot. The voting machine was temporarily pulled from service while it was re-calibrated and the voter was allowed to recast his ballot on a different machine.
Morris said another issue occurred in Washington Township where a machine “froze” and needed to be powered down, taking one voting machine out of circulation in that precinct.
He added there were other discussions of minor issues, although the elections office was never formally notified of those problems.
“Voters need to know when they vote that their vote is accurately recorded,” Morris said. “With the rumors going around, they need to be put at ease.”
The voting machines were purchased by the county 12 years ago, and are expected to be serviceable for another five to 10 years, Greene County Elections Director Tina Kiger said.
Kiger said representatives from ES&S will be in Greene County to assist election officials as they “clear and test” the machines during the week of Oct. 20. They will return the day before Election Day and stay two additional days to assist county election officials should there be a problem.
“It’s just a problem with calibration,” Kiger said of the primary election issues. “Our workers go out into the field and fix it, and then it’s over with.”
All three county commissioner seats, Greene County judge and various school board and municipal government races will be on the ballot in November.
Applications to receive absentee ballots are also now available to the public and must be returned by Oct. 27.
The county’s elections board will hold a public meeting at noon Tuesday in the county office building as it prepares for the election.