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Help america vote act Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030612/localnews/463672.htmlhttp://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030612/localnews/463672.html
Electronic voting machines readied for Schuyler
By Neil Chaffie
Schuyler County election commissioners have been on the road to explain the changes ahead under the federal Help America Vote Act adopted last year by Congress.
Republican John Fazzary and Democrat John L. Vona have been telling town boards that the county's 17 polling places are in store for new electronic voting machines, which the county will purchase, own and maintain. Both men have been stressing in their talks with town officials that the new machines are not to be considered computers. "Electronic" is the key word.
Each will be what is referred to as a "stand alone" machine. There are no connections to other units. Each machine will weigh about 50 pounds and can rest on a table or desk. Some come with their own support base. It depends upon which units are ultimately purchased, the commissioners said.
One machine displays a full-face ballot and another offers a scroll type system. The commissioners seemed to be leaning toward the full-face ballot machine, a unit that they feel is simpler to operate.
The hope is to have the new machines in operation by 2005. As part of an educational program and to acquaint voters with the new units, machines may be made available for placement in businesses, town or county offices for the public to try out on a test basis.
The commissioners said meetings this week with town boards in Reading and Dix will conclude their round of visits.
Fazzary said they have received "100 percent cooperation" when asking the town boards to support the program. They'll take that information to the Schuyler County Legislature's Government Operations Committee in continuing talks with that group.
The commissioners have suggested that two machines be acquired for each of 17 election districts. If one should fail, they said, there would be a back up. That cost is expected to be about $238,000 to the county, with reimbursement by the state.
The commissioners look to a state task force to receive $120 million this fiscal year in federal dollars with $5 million of that to be on hand before the program begins. The federal government has $200 million targeted for New York state with $160 million going for new machines and $40 million for training, maintenance and related costs over a three-year period.
The commissioners said that before the state can access the funds, a comprehensive plan by a state task force has to define for federal officials how the dollars are to be spent, how they will be accounted for, how they will meet the mandates of the program and just how progress with the program will be monitored at the local level.
Teachers on the farm
The Hector grazing area, a dairy farm and commercial tree fruit orchard are sites scheduled for a farm tour by teachers later this summer.
James A. Ochterski, extension resource educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, needs an early count of participants to arrange transportation, order box lunches and prepare needed handouts.
Call 739-3581 Ext. 2465. There is no fee for the day-long Aug. 21 event.
Creatures of Arnot Forest
Register now by calling 255-5508 for a course on amphibians and reptiles at Arnot Forest on Jackson Hollow Road, a mile north of Route 224 between Cayuta and Van Etten.
A classroom session as well as hands-on interaction with the residents of Arnot Forest are planned for 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16, for about two hours. There is a $15 fee per person.
Neil Chaffie's column about Schuyler County appears on Thursdays. Contact him at PO Box 543, Ovid, NY 14521-0543; 869-5049; or chaffie@fltg.net.)
Originally published Thursday, June 12, 2003
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