brickell
February 2nd, 2007, 12:38 AM
I didn't vote for him, but I'm liking Crist more and more everyday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-21crist,0,3493344.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
House Speaker backs Crist plan to scrap touch-screen voting
By Anthony Man
sun-sentinel.com Political Writer
Posted February 1 2007, 4:14 PM EST
Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist's plan to scrap the controversial touch-screen voting machines and replace them with optical scanning machines.
Rubio's stand increases the odds that an optical scan requirement will become part of state law. However, he expressed reservations about the idea of the state paying for the optical scan equipment for Broward, Palm Beach and the 13 other counties with touch-screen machines.
Those counties all made the choice of touch-screen machines after the 2000 presidential election debacle brought changes in state election law. The state's 52 counties chose or remained with optical scanners that read paper ballots.
If the state pays for optical scanners for the 15 counties to replace their touch-screen machines, then the counties that made what Rubio called the "right decision" will see that as unfair.
"It's a very valid debate. Should we bail out counties that made the wrong choice by going with the machines? They didn't have to go with those machines. Somebody convinced them to do it. And now the machines have turned out to be problematic in some areas," he said. "Some counties chose these machines. As a result of choosing the machines, there have now in some counties been problems with the machines. And that's a consequence of the decision that they made."
Rubio said he has always thought optical scan voting was a better idea than touch-screen machines.
"If I was the supervisor of elections in Miami-Dade County or Broward or Palm Beach I would have chosen the optical scan because of what I saw at the time," he said. "Filling in the bubble [on a paper ballot] is kind of what you do in school, so you're trained in school. And in my district they also fill in the bubble for the lottery tickets, so they're kind of comfortable with the bubble."
He said he didn't buy into the conspiracy theories that have cropped up around the nation concerning touch-screen machines, with some critics arguing that they're subject to intentional manipulation.
"I don't think the machines are being tampered with. I don't think the machines are part of any widespread effort to steal elections. But I think if any significant portion of your population has any doubts about the integrity of your elections, you have to address it, and if having optical scan machines addresses those questions, I think we should do it."
State Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton, said he, too, prefers the optical scan machines but questions whether the state should pay for them in the 15 counties. The Legislature's decision would have a mulit-million dollar effect on both counties Hasner represents, Broward and Palm Beach.
"All of a sudden for making a bad decision they're getting funding for it," he said.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-21crist,0,3493344.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
House Speaker backs Crist plan to scrap touch-screen voting
By Anthony Man
sun-sentinel.com Political Writer
Posted February 1 2007, 4:14 PM EST
Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist's plan to scrap the controversial touch-screen voting machines and replace them with optical scanning machines.
Rubio's stand increases the odds that an optical scan requirement will become part of state law. However, he expressed reservations about the idea of the state paying for the optical scan equipment for Broward, Palm Beach and the 13 other counties with touch-screen machines.
Those counties all made the choice of touch-screen machines after the 2000 presidential election debacle brought changes in state election law. The state's 52 counties chose or remained with optical scanners that read paper ballots.
If the state pays for optical scanners for the 15 counties to replace their touch-screen machines, then the counties that made what Rubio called the "right decision" will see that as unfair.
"It's a very valid debate. Should we bail out counties that made the wrong choice by going with the machines? They didn't have to go with those machines. Somebody convinced them to do it. And now the machines have turned out to be problematic in some areas," he said. "Some counties chose these machines. As a result of choosing the machines, there have now in some counties been problems with the machines. And that's a consequence of the decision that they made."
Rubio said he has always thought optical scan voting was a better idea than touch-screen machines.
"If I was the supervisor of elections in Miami-Dade County or Broward or Palm Beach I would have chosen the optical scan because of what I saw at the time," he said. "Filling in the bubble [on a paper ballot] is kind of what you do in school, so you're trained in school. And in my district they also fill in the bubble for the lottery tickets, so they're kind of comfortable with the bubble."
He said he didn't buy into the conspiracy theories that have cropped up around the nation concerning touch-screen machines, with some critics arguing that they're subject to intentional manipulation.
"I don't think the machines are being tampered with. I don't think the machines are part of any widespread effort to steal elections. But I think if any significant portion of your population has any doubts about the integrity of your elections, you have to address it, and if having optical scan machines addresses those questions, I think we should do it."
State Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton, said he, too, prefers the optical scan machines but questions whether the state should pay for them in the 15 counties. The Legislature's decision would have a mulit-million dollar effect on both counties Hasner represents, Broward and Palm Beach.
"All of a sudden for making a bad decision they're getting funding for it," he said.