14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Is Electronic Voting Equipment Causing Undue Concern?

Is Electronic Voting Equipment Causing Undue Concern?

Reporter: Ben Jackey

New Media Producer: Kerry Corum

Some unexpected preparations Monday night: Poll worker training.

The election office was short workers this election, so last-minute volunteers got a crash course in electronic voting.

Marsha Abell says, "If we don't open 5:00 to 11:00, we don't open 5:00 to 11:00. I don't care."

Her "primary" concern isn't machines. "No, this is gonna be pretty easy. Oh we've had a lot of problems. After they learned what the job was, they called the party headquarters and said, 'I can't do it.'"

The main reason? Technology.

Poll worker Betsy Gibson explains, "I'm scared about electronics. I don't know how to work them."

But Gibson and about 20 other volunteers made a last-minute commitment, despite some high-tech fears.

Ivotronic 101 teaches workers to set up one of the 500 machines, how to instruct voters to vote and how to protect the personal electronic ballot.

William Wesley of ES&S is heard saying, "This is what you do to activate the ballots. When I was in the military, they made me name my gun. I would expect you to name your PEB(Personal Electronic Ballot). We don't want you to leave that laying around ever, never, ever, ever, never."

Robb McGinnis of ES&S says, "All of the votes are uploaded onto that cartridge. They go to all four booths and I have my totals on my PEB."

Once the PEB is brought in, volunteer error is no longer an issue.

"Simply, it's popped into here. It takes two seconds. Downloads all of the votes from here into the network," McGinnis tells them.

In case of a network error, McGinnis says, "It will also print out a hard copy receipt of all of the contests and candidates with their totals."

Instead of another long night of counting hanging chads, Abell plans to be off her feet in short order. "By 7:00." Only if there are no glitches. If there are problems, Abel says, "It will be people kinks because the system runs. The system works."

If you have questions about where to vote in Vanderburgh County, call 435-5222. The polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m.