From the Chicago Tribune

Deal to end punch-card voting
Change in ballot is seen by 2006
By Mickey Ciokajlo
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 9, 2003

The City of Chicago, Cook County and several other Illinois jurisdictions
have pledged to try to get rid of their punch-card voting systems in time
for the primary elections of 2006 under an agreement reached Wednesday in a
federal lawsuit.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund filed lawsuits following the 2000 presidential election
that was marred by problems with punch-card ballots, most notably in
Florida, but also in Illinois.
As a result of the election and the approval of last year's federal Help
America Vote Act, which should supply additional funding, Cook County and
Chicago said they were already eyeing new voting systems.
"Settling this lawsuit will avoid a protracted trial that could have cost
Cook County taxpayers millions of dollars," said a joint statement Wednesday
from Cook County Clerk David Orr and Langdon Neal, chairman of the Chicago
Board of Election Commissioners.
"Since the 2000 presidential election, the Cook County clerk's office and
the Chicago Election Board have undertaken a study and analysis of high-tech
voting equipment to prepare for the next generation of election systems,"
the statement added.
A contingency in the agreement says that funds must be available for a new
voting system but the agencies are not required to divert money from current
sources.
Officials anticipate that funds from the Help America Vote Act will pay for
the switch, although questions remain about the federal appropriation of
those dollars. City and county officials were unable Wednesday to give cost
estimates for new voting systems, citing the rapidly changing technology and
the fact that no bids have been taken.
In two weeks, the city and county are hosting a public exhibition at
McCormick Place for more than two dozen vendors and manufacturers to display
the latest voting devices available.
"This is the beginning of the end of punch-card voting," said Harvey
Grossman, legal director of the ACLU of Illinois.
Citing the federal act's approval last year, he added, "It's clear that it's
in the city's best interest to do this now."
The lawsuits, which were later consolidated, were filed by classes of
African-American and Hispanic voters in various jurisdictions throughout
Illinois.
An analysis by the Chicago Tribune following the 2000 presidential election
showed that Chicago had the most ballot errors of any major U.S. city, and
that poor and minority areas had the highest error rates.
In 2001, a Cook County judge approved the use of error-detection equipment
in Chicago and Cook County. Election officials credited the equipment with
reducing problems, although critics contended that errors remained high.
In August of this year, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed an election reform bill
that brings the state in compliance with the Help America Vote Act. Most
notably, the bill legalized touch-screen voting, which advocates say is
superior to optical scan ballots, which were already legal.
Touch-screen voting would provide for an unlimited number of candidates
without crowding the ballot. According to Orr, Cook County and its lengthy
judicial listings has the longest ballot in the U.S.
The bill also provided funding to help jurisdictions get rid of punch-card
ballots. At that time, Orr said he was looking to "replace Cook County's
entire current punch-card system by 2006."
According to the settlement agreements, the jurisdictions will make their
"best, immediate and continuing efforts" to obtain a new voting system in
time for the first election following Jan. 1, 2006.
The jurisdictions will have "complete and sole discretion" in selecting the
systems.
The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners stated in its agreement that it
has continued to explore new technology for its voters and "not because of
this or any other litigation."
The board's settlement also said that it "believes that most of the problems
cited by plaintiffs stem from human error--not defects in the voting
equipment."
In their joint statement, Orr and Neal said, "Until the punch-card system
can be replaced, it remains a reliable and secure balloting system for
voters in Cook County."
Chicago and Cook County also agreed to pay a combined $450,000 in settling
the suit. Also settling Wednesday were the Illinois State Board of
Elections, Will County, East St. Louis, Alexander County, Sangamon County
and Whiteside County.