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County to buy new voting machines
Voters in Fairfax County this November will have a choice of how to cast their ballots – using the electronic machines they have been using over the past few years, or filling out a paper ballot that will be scanned.
The choice was somewhat forced by 2007 state legislation that prohibits Virginia jurisdictions from purchasing new electronic voting machines, in an attempt to phase them out. Fairfax began using the devices in the 2003 election in order to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act.
Fairfax County election officials, anticipating a record-setting turnout for this fall's presidential election, needed to purchase additional voting machines to prevent long lines at the polls.
“We're kind of over a barrel,” county Election Manager Judy Flaig said. “And we don't want people waiting in line forever and ever.”
With proposed changes to federal election regulations under way, county election staff also did not want to implement a permanent change. Instead, the Board of Supervisors approved purchasing 240 used optical scan machines for $735,450 on Monday. The county will also still use its 1,200 electronic voting machines.
“I think we need to persuade members of the General Assembly that we need a little flexibility on this subject,” board Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-At-large) said. “We don’t want to make a huge investment in an alternative technology and have the federal government eschew it.”
While local officials everywhere are likely unhappy about having to spend millions to accommodate shifts in election laws, Flaig said there are some positives with the new equipment.
The optical scan system is easy for voters and election volunteers to use, and it allows more people to vote at one time because they are filling out a paper ballot, she said.
Fairfax has been using the same optical scan system for absentee ballots for about a decade, according to county staff.
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