RESOLUTION URGING CONTINUED USE OF LEVER VOTING MACHINES
IN NEW YORK STATE
WHEREAS, for decades, mechanical lever-style voting machines have been used throughout New York State with very few problems; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the NYS Board of Elections has mandated counties to purchase electronic voting machines; and
WHEREAS, the County has already augmented the lever voting machine with handicap accessible ballot marking devices, which satisfies HAVA requirements; and
WHEREAS, the State mandate to convert entirely to an optical scanner system will be extremely expensive to maintain, at County cost; and
WHEREAS, converting to a system whereby a large majority of voters will vote on electronic-type voting machines rather than time-tested lever voting machines has the potential to harm the integrity of the voting process in New York State; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors hereby urges the State Legislature and NYS Board of Elections to authorize continued use of lever voting machines in New York State, supplemented by electronic ballot marking devices (BMD); and, be it further
RESOLVED, That certified copies of this Resolution be forwarded to the County Treasurer, Board of Elections, Governor David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, Senator Hugh Farley, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assemblyman Marc Butler, NYS Board of Elections, NYS Association of Towns, Administrative Officer/Clerk of the Board and to each and every other person, institution or agency who will further the purport of this Resolution.
