SF ballots may be handcounted

["Margit Johansson" <margitjo@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.kcbs.com/pages/465653.php?contentType=4&contentId=507690

SF Ballots May Have to be Hand Counted Come November

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)  -- San Francisco's Department of Elections is
preparing for the very likely possibility that votes will have to be
hand counted this November, after learning the city's voting machines
do not meet new federal election standards.

Elections Director John Arntz said the department received a letter
from the secretary of state informing them that voting machines needed
to go through a new certification process for November. He added that
there is no way the city's machines will qualify under the new rules.

"We're going to have to get a very large space for a lot of people for
many days to go through all the ballots in San Francisco and hand
tally the election," said Arntz.

A hand count would cost the city an extra $1 million and delay the
outcome of the election for days, if not weeks, according to Arntz.