Reader says: new voting machines needed for Sussex County

Sussex County is the only county in New Jersey that uses the E.S&S. iVotronic model of voting machine. This past spring, in the last school board election in Green, the school board budget at first was reported that it did not pass. Further results from the Board of Elections found out that the votes were counted wrong. The budget in fact did pass. During the Freeholders primary, candidates and supporters saw before their eyes the machines flip in an upward direction and then numbers started to decrease. Also, the number of votes totaled from Walpack was 61 even though there are only 22 registered voters there. It took a week for the final results. What must we do to get it through to our government officials that we need new voting machines in Sussex County? If you are familiar with the Homeland Security advertisement with an abandoned suitcase on a subway, you might want to remember this. The narrative says, “If you see something, say something” and it all makes sense. Without the eyes and ears of the “rank and file” citizen, nothing ever changes for the better. It is the “rank and file” who push the issues in our society that make things happen. If you have any problems at the polls this November, ”say something” to the poll worker, and have them call the Board of Elections or call yourself. “We" all must “say something” if we “see something” including any other irregularities at the polls. I went to court for a decision because of what we experienced in Vernon Township several years ago with confusion at the polls due to the firmware, including questions of miscalibration and mechanical problems. In court, the assistant attorney general of the state promised us that the firmware issue would get funding to fix the problem. It seems like there are more problems now then ever before. Could it be that we need a new type of voting machine? Obviously yes! If more people “say something” if they “see something” “we” the “rank and file” might finally be able to communicate to our officials that ”we” need to get new machines. The federal (HAVA), Help America Vote Act of 2002 was passed to give funding to states due to major vulnerabilities by manual and electronic voting machines. This would include; “Improving, acquiring, leasing, modifying or replacing voting systems and technology and methods for casting and counting votes” —from HAVA, section I.101.b.1.F, 2002. When will the Board of Freeholders finally admit that something is seriously wrong? Will there be more “glitches’ in the E.S.&S. iVotronic voting process this time around? In the interim, how many voters and candidates in Sussex County will we continue to disenfranchise? Mary Ellen Vichiconti Vernon Township