Altmann & legislators empower Nassau County to get involved with Voting Act lawsuit

Nassau County Legislator Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck) and her fellow lawmakers this week introduced a resolution empowering the Nassau County Attorney to support a lawsuit with Suffolk County to block a federal ruling that requires counties to buy new voting machines by next September. Suffolk County started a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections last month, stating that the state’s Election Reform and Modernization Act of 2005 would unnecessarily force counties to spend millions of dollars on new voting systems.

The resolution, which went before the Legislature’s Rules Committee, received unanimous, bipartisan support.

The federal government’s Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires that all voting machines and many of the voting procedures make voting easier, verifiable and more accessible to all residents. While some interpret this to mean that traditional “lever” voting machines be replaced by electronic or optical scan voting machines, Altmann believes that federal and state do not necessarily require counties to replace traditional lever machines.

“I am pleased that we will be working with the County Attorney on both an amicus brief to support the Suffolk County lawsuit and pursuing a separate strategy at the Federal level,” Altmann said. “It is critical that Nassau County have the time to comply with the federal HAVA law. We must make sure to have voting systems that are secure, efficient and affordable. Our participation in these lawsuits will go a long way towards ensuring that outcome.”

In addition, she says, while the federal government has promised funding for the new technology, it's not clear how much will be reimbursed.

Earlier this year, Legislator Altmann urged her fellow Nassau lawmakers to demand the purchase of the Paper Ballot Optical Scanner (PBOS) voting booths because, unlike DRE machines where votes will be recorded and counted on a computer, they cannot be tampered with or hacked. Optical scanning systems have also proven to be less costly. The Long Island Progressive Coalition; the League of Woman Voters; Democracy for Long Island; and Reachout America agrees that PBOS machines are a better choice.

“The Paper Ballot Optical Scanner voting machines are the most reliable option for our residents,” Legislator Altmann said.  “Optical scanners are also a better choice for those who are visually impaired and are more user-friendly for our residents, particularly our older voters, who not used to using a computer.  Filling out a paper ballot is as easy as filling out a standardized test or a lottery card and almost everyone in New York knows how to do that.”

Legislator Altmann added that DRE machines are also known to be riddled with problems including failing to record ballots, tabulating results incorrectly, registering the incorrect choice, adding votes, subtracting votes and even malfunctioning to the point of requiring a new election.  Precinct-based optical scan systems have been used for over 20 years and have proven to be dependable.