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By Bob Weaver
Problems with the nation's electronic voting machines have flared in several states, with some deciding to return to other systems or paper ballots.
The manufacturers of the machines are promising to correct the problems.
Calhoun Clerk Richard Kirby is ordering a back-up supply of paper ballots for the local election.
"While the machines worked well in the last election cycle, I have some real concerns what happens if they fail to perform." he said.
Kirby and his office staff did extra work last election to correct programming problems with the machines prior to the election.
"Most people, including our older citizens, reported they liked voting on the machines," he said.
Concerns have risen since the recent South Carolina primary where electronic machine problems occurred. "Fortunately they had paper ballot back-up," Kirby said.
"We have to print a certain number of paper ballots for mail-in absentee voters anyway, so I'm getting extra ones printed."
West Virginia Secretary of State's office is standing firm in its support of electronic voting machines, despite security concerns raised by several states.
Officials in Colorado and Ohio are removing the machines, declaring them unfit for legitimate elections, saying they can be corrupted with magnets and other devices.
Thirty-four West Virginia counties use Election Systems and Software's iVotronic touch-screen machines, including Calhoun.
The government got their foot in the door with the machines, requiring them to at least be used in each precinct for handicapped voters.
Deputy Secretary of State Sarah Bailey says the agency is comfortable moving forward with the iVotronic system.
Secretary of State Betty Ireland led the effort to convince counties to go with the system.
Meanwhile, Kirby says Calhoun has been selected by the Secretary of State for a pilot project using electronic poll books, replacing the old paper system.
There is no cost to the county, says Kirby, who will be using both systems during this election cycle.
PROBLEMS REPORTED AROUND USA
Hundreds of thousands of America's voters have experienced voting problems with the old punch card voting machines, particularly in Florida, and many have reason to believe the last presidential election was tainted.
Electronic voting machines have been promoted as trendy gadgets of the election world that will fix the problems.
Early versions, still used by several states did not leave a paper trail, but West Virginia's machines do.
Several states are banishing the touch-screen machines in time for November's elections, favoring old-fashioned paper ballots that can be electronically scanned and counted.
Several are going back to paper ballots using optical scanner counters, once used in many West Virginia counties, including Calhoun.
Touch-screen voting machines became popular after the 2000 presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
In 2006 in Sarasota, Fla., 18,000 ballots cast on touch-screen machines did not show any votes in a close congressional election.
Estimates indicate about 50 percent of all registered voters in the U.S. will use paper ballots in 2008.
Several Florida counties dumped their touch-screen voting machines for the Jan. 29 primary. They went back to optical scanned paper ballots.
In California, after a $1 million comprehensive review of the voting system, the secretary of state decided that several of California's electronic voting machines were faulty. Now, in time for next weeks big primary, the Secretary of State has ruled that all electronic voting machines must leave a paper trail.
In Ohio, the 57 counties that use touch-screens must switch to optical scanners by the November election.
According to the Secretary of State's office, voters who feel uncomfortable with touch-screens have the right to ask for a paper ballot on primary day.
The federal government has funded the big change to touch-screen voting.
With discontent, what happens next to bring uniformity and confidence is unclear.
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