Voting machine hiccup result of human error
Elections administrator apologizes for voter's frustration with election
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Addressing both past and future voting issues, Wharton County Elections Administrator Judy Owens appeared before the county commissioners court as a non-agenda speaker during Thursday's special session.

Owens took full responsibility for a voting machine calibration error that resulted in Boling resident Jim Welch deciding not to participate in the Nov. 6 state amendment election. At the time, Welch said that while he was voting, he and other witnesses saw the iVotronic machine he was using change one of his votes.

Owens said the calibration error that led to the problem was the result of human error. Calibrating the equipment is a two step process, she said, and that she must have missed the second step on that particular machine.

She has since instituted "a detailed, step by step checklist which requires verification at each level," Owens said.

The iVotronic equipment was used during the Boling Independent School District trustee run-off and worked effectively, according to Owens.

In discussing the upcoming primary elections, Owens reported she had received a request from Wharton County Republican Party Chairwoman Debra Medina on Dec. 18 to use optical scan ballots for early voting in the Republican Primary.

Owens said she turned down the request based on existing early voting policy adopted by the county. Owens added Medina told her that she had spoken to Commissioners Mickey Reynolds, Chris King and Philip Miller and that "they were not opposed to having paper ballots during early voting."

When Medina said that there would be additional cost to the county to use paper ballots, Miller clarified his conversation saying he wouldn't oppose paper ballots if it did not represent an extra cost to the county.

Aside from cost, Owens said, Thursday was the deadline to submit any election changes to the Department of Justice for approval.

She would only use optical scan ballots for early voting if ordered by the court, Owens said, adding the election change submission needed to be prefaced by a phone call from a member of the commissioners court explaining why the change request was not submitted within the required time period.

Owens added the Democratic Party had already contracted for her office to conduct their primary and for using the iVotronics both early and Election Day voting.

She said it would create confusion and additional work for election workers if and when Democratic voters wanted paper ballots.

She added that during the 2006 primary, the Republic party declined to act on several requests to order additional ballots and subsequently ran out of ballots at three difference locations on Election Day.

She added two locations then ran out during the runoff election.

"With locally contested races on the Republican ticket will this happen again?" Owens said.

"Though the parties are responsible for Election Day ballots and supplies, my office will receive the negative press. Please inform your constituents now that your Republican chair is responsible for Election Day problems."

In listing upcoming election activities, Owens said she needs help.

Those activities include voter registration mail outs, sending in requests for ballots, early voting, the March 4 Election Day, early voting for any run off, April 8 run off election, early voting for municipal, school and other local election and May 10 Election Day.