Good Work Boulder: Clerk Delays Purchase

["Joe Pezzillo" <jpezzillo@xxxxxxxxx>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 January 2006

Contact:  Josh Liss, Elections Coordinator, 303-961-2775 or
Barb Halpin, Boulder County Public Information Officer, at 303-441-1622


County Clerk postpones purchase of new voting equipment

In a move to assure Boulder County voters that the upcoming 2006  
primary and general elections will produce an accurate, timely and  
secure tallying of votes, the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s  
office decided today to not pursue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for  
acquiring new voting equipment for Boulder County in 2006.

Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Linda Salas and her staff decided  
to use existing voting equipment after thoroughly reviewing public  
input provided in recent weeks and analyzing ongoing technical and  
legal challenges in other counties and states. As a result of this  
assessment, Salas determined that her office did not want to subject  
Boulder County to the same problems currently being experienced  
across the nation.

“When we do purchase new equipment, we want to make sure we make an  
informed decision that provides an accurate, reliable system to the  
people of Boulder County.  We want a system that the voters will have  
confidence in, and one that we as election administrators have  
confidence in as well,” Salas said. “There are still too many  
unresolved technical and legal issues with the new voting equipment  
offered on the market for us to feel secure in making a purchase of  
new equipment for Boulder County this year. This is a very important  
decision and one that should not be rushed.”

Using Boulder County’s existing voting machines which digitally scan  
paper ballots will allow elections officials to conduct this year’s  
elections with equipment they have experience with, and procedures  
already in place. This decision will also allow for a much longer  
timeline to facilitate a full public process in purchasing new  
equipment.

Ben Pearlman, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners,  
commended the Boulder County Clerk for her decision and noted the  
benefits of delaying the purchase of new equipment until such  
equipment has been thoroughly tested in other parts of the country  
and certified by the State of Colorado.

“With so many unanswered issues surrounding the use of new voting  
equipment in other parts of the country, the Commissioners consider  
it a very wise decision for the Clerk to wait and evaluate the  
performance of new voting systems before recommending the purchase of  
a new system for Boulder County,” Pearlman said. “By waiting for the  
dust to settle on these ongoing challenges, Boulder County can make a  
better decision in the next year or two and allocate taxpayer money  
in the most judicious manner possible.”

County officials also want to make sure that enough time is allowed  
to explore emerging technologies that allow disabled voters to vote  
in privacy and ensure secure, verifiable voting results at every  
election. By not confining themselves to an ever-tightening timelime  
for new equipment research and testing this year, election officials  
can come to a better understanding of evolving requirements and  
equipment for future years’ elections.

Boulder County is mandated this year to comply with regulations  
associated with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which requires  
counties to provide persons with disabilities an accessible and  
private manner in which to vote without the assistance of a poll  
worker. In order to comply with the HAVA requirements, the Clerk’s  
office will pursue the option of renting qualifying equipment in time  
for the 2006 primary and general elections.

Rental of the equipment would allow Boulder County to satisfy HAVA  
requirements while delaying the larger financial commitment of  
purchasing new elections equipment. Boulder County is set to receive  
$1 million in Federal funds to enable compliance with HAVA  
regulations; elections officials had expected to spend up to an  
additional $2.6 million on new voting systems, but now that  
expenditure will be delayed so that officials may evaluate voting  
technologies and make a more informed decision for purchasing  
equipment at a later date.

“Rental of equipment this year would give the Clerk’s office time to  
evaluate its use in Boulder County and also allow more time to  
evaluate different equipment used in other counties without a  
permanent commitment to unfamiliar and untested technology,”  
Elections Coordinator Josh Liss said.  “As of right now, there are  
several bills before Congress proposing amendments to the Help  
America Vote Act, which could significantly change the requirements  
for Boulder County by the time we’re ready to make a more permanent  
decision. We’d like to see how some of this plays out before we make  
such a large commitment.”

The Clerk’s office has confirmed with the Office of the Secretary of  
State that federally-directed HAVA funds can be used to cover a  
significant portion, if not all, of the costs of renting equipment  
for this year’s elections, thereby posing little or no fiscal impact  
to Boulder County in 2006.


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