The City of Sparta, Georgia plans to use paper ballots instead of Hancock County’s electronic voting machines in their November election.
“Some citizens who were actually in on the meeting had come to the office and expressed that they maybe wanted to file a complaint about the city actually using paper ballots,” said Hancock County Elections Supervisor Tiffany Medlock.
The City of Sparta first approached the Hancock Board of Elections with an agreement for the county to let them use their electronic voting machines, but after the board revised the agreement and agreed to lend them the machines, the city never answered back.
"The city has not communicated with me as to why they're doing it," Medlock said. "Really have not had much contact with the city in reference to the election."
Medlock said the people who complained to her office say they don't understand why the city would go with paper when the county was more than happy to give them voting machines.
In reference to the council's decision to go with paper ballots, Sparta Mayor Williams Evans declined to comment.
Sparta City Registrar Marion Warren said paper ballots won't affect the vote count or add much time for voters to cast a ballot.
"There's very little difference," he said. "In my mind, the direct looking at the ballots and screaming off the numbers is just as accurate as the machines."
Warren said one thing he knows for sure is paper ballots are a lot cheaper since the city is running its own election.
Medlock said the city has every right to use paper ballots if they want to. Only county elections are mandated to use electronic voting equipment.
One voter expresses concern that the switch is motivated by a corrupt city machine, and asks if it is possible to have outside election monitors. I don’t know what the situation is in Sparta, but this does seem strange.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
No comments:
Post a Comment