Lever machines, pictured in storage in Vestal, may be used again in November if new machines are not approved.
Voters in Broome and across New York were supposed to have used their old lever-voting machines, some in Broome more than half a century old, for the last time in November. Electronic ballot counting devices were set up at polling places Nov. 4, but were available only to disabled voters. The expectation was that all New York voters would use the new electronic system this year.
Following years of political wrangling in Albany, New York was the last state of all 50 to implement in 2006 its version of the federal Help America Vote Act, enacted by Congress in 2002 to establish minimum standards for voters.
New York was given $221 million from the federal government to replace its lever-voting machines. A year ago, the state suddenly decided that the individual counties would have to decide which machines to purchase. In the end, Broome and all but two New York counties purchased the Sequoia brand of electronic ballot counters. The state approved testing requirements for the new machines that exceeded federal standards.
But further delays mounted. In October, the Colorado testing company chosen to certify New York's new machines lost its accreditation from the federal government. SysTest failed to create and validate test methods, improperly documented its testing and used unqualified personnel to do the work, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Broome's machines have been certified for use by disabled voters, Republican election commissioner Eugene Faughnan said. They haven't been certified to state standards for all voters. Fortunately for voters, the old lever machines remain safe in storage.
Michael H. Drucker
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