Finally some common sense at the election commission
I’ve been saying all along that the ways Peorians have been casting cast ballots isn’t a problem, so why fix it? Now, finally, it seems that two new members of the election commission have helped them all to come to the conclusion.
The plan was to buy all new electronic voting machines that would replace the paper ballots and allow anyone with a disability to vote without assistance, as well as provide features to other voters such as informing them if they’ve over- or under-voted at the poll.
Instead, the board is now looking at an electronic system that will work along with the already existing paper ballots, in which voters draw an arrow between the office and candidate of their choice.
Only one electronic “printer” would be in each polling place, and it would only be used by disabled voters, satisfying the federal Help America Vote Act requirements.
All other voters would cast a ballot just as they have in the city since 1993.
It seems that thanks to a stalemate, we’re going to save some money — the costs of buying machines that just happened to be be made by a company partially owned by one of the election commissioners. Sure, it’s the only one that could possibly count the at-large “bullet” voting, we were assured. Except for the current system, which worked just fine.
I have nothing against computerized voting machines. If were were starting from scratch, it might make sense.
But on the other hand, I don’t feel the need to fire up my PC and load up the calculator on my desktop when I need to do simple math. I get out a pencil and paper.
Peoria didn’t have a hanging chad problem. Still doesn’t.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
