The Independent View: NY Governor Has Not Signed Bill Allowing NYC To Use Lever Voting Machines in 2013 Primary

It’s now officially up to New York Governor Cuomo to decide whether old-fashioned lever voting machines can be used in New York City's Primary and Runoff elections this year as well as adding another week between the primary and runoff.

The Legislation granting the change was sent to Cuomo’s office Tuesday, July 2nd. He must decide by July 13th whether to sign or veto the measure, which was approved by the Senate and Assembly before the close of the legislative session last month.

When signed, the following will happen:

1. The old lever machines will be used that have no way to verify the vote or do a recount.

2. The time between the primary and runoff will be extended by one week, to three weeks.

3. The New York City Police Department, an executive agency of the Mayor, has been cut out of the reporting process. Election workers will upload the results directly to the New York City Board of Elections website, making the data available immediately. Under the old system, results would go to police precincts and then be distributed to the Associated Press. Now, the AP is no longer the gatekeeper.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said the governor is still reviewing the bill and has not made a decision on whether to sign it.

Good government groups have urged Cuomo to veto the measure, arguing that using the old machines would be a step backward.

But using lever machines brings many legal problems like: No required paper trail, not ADA compliant, not state approved, and not able to display all the new approved New York City languages. And finally, many of the lever machines in storage need mechanical repair that will require the expense of cannibalizing machines for parts and finding technicians who know how to fix them and a printer who knows how to print lever ballots.

The New York City Board of Election Day Operations will have to request for the Commissioners’ authorization to spend one (1) day training the poll workers in the Train the Trainer Classes on the lever machines using the 2009 Poll Worker Procedures. There have been no changes to the lever machines since 2009. A consultant is currently assisting the Board revising the poll worker exams and poll worker curriculum.

Monitors will be using hard copy reports because the Tablet App is currently designed for the electronic voting systems and there is not enough time to redesign and reprogram the Tablets.