http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2006/04/13/local_news/
news07.txt
Whitesboro council votes against voting machinesBy Melissa Johnson
Herald Democrat
WHITESBORO —The Whitesboro City Council Tuesday night approved a
resolution resolving that it would not be using voting machines
in its May 13th general election.
The resolution states that “because of the inability to acquire
reasonably priced electronic voting machines and the necessary
software and training in order to use those machines in the May,
2006, municipal election and because the simple paper ballots
historically used in the city elections and the election
personnel who conscientiously make voting in our elections
available to all persons, whether disabled or not, there appears
no pattern of denying disabled voters the right to vote, that the
2006 municipal elections in the city of Whitesboro, the city
shall continue the practice of using paper ballots for all
voters...”
Much controversy has surrounded the voting machines, which were
mandated in the 2002 Help America Vote Act. The act stated that
no later than Jan. 1, 2006, each poling place must provide one
voting station. Several school boards and city councils expressed
concern over the cost and availability of the machines and the
training.
“We learned the cost was going to be prohibitive, if we could
even get them,” said W.D. Welch, Whitesboro mayor. “First they
were going to charge a substantial fee just to have the machines,
then it was going to cost for software and training. We were in a
catch 22. Even if machines were available, we couldn’t get
training.”
The resolution that was passed by Whitesboro stated that the city
of Whitesboro tried repeatedly to obtain access to a machine but
it had been unable to find an available, affordable machine or
software supplier and that it conducted open meetings to discuss
the issue. At its March City Council meeting, a wheelchair-bound
man, who said he was a frequent voter and had used both systems,
spoke before the Council. The man said that it is equally easy to
use the paper or voting machines. He said that there is no reason
that the system should be changed.
“What they say is we need to show due diligence to carry out the
terms,” Welch said. “There isn’t anything that says there is a
punishment. The last thing we want to do is stop someone from
voting. We understand what the law is trying to say to us but
because of conditions we faced, we couldn’t do it this year ...
but we are going to look at what we can do in the future. When
you put all things together, we felt like to have a good orderly
election, the best thing is to use the paper ballot.”
Welch said that several other cities are having a similar problem
and that others have also decided to stay with paper ballots this
year.
In other business, the Council took no action on a resolution
suspending Atmos Energy’s request for a rate adjustment, which
would mean an increase. The Council did, however, approve a
resolution finding Atmos Energy rates excessive and in need of
reduction, against the request of an Atmos representative.
The Council also approved appointing Steve Pinkston to fill the
unexpired term of Tommy Neal on the Board of Adjustments and Jeff
Patterson as Whitesboro’s emergency management coordinator. It
passed an ordinance prohibiting through-truck traffic on Bois
D’Arc Street, a property lease agreement for fire trucks, and the
retirement letter of the police chief.