Voting Machines

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Despite assurances that Berkeley County's new electronic voting machines would be available in time for next week's primary election, continuing problems are casting the machines' readiness in doubt, a county elections official said Wednesday. Berkeley County Voter Registration and Elections Supervisor Bonnie Woodfall said that the county's store of touch-screen voting machines, of which one was to be placed in each of the county's 65 precincts, have not been able to be successfully tested.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - The new electronic voting machines could be available for the remainder of early voting in Morgan County because the personalized electronic ballots (PEBs) used with touch-screen machines have arrived. Morgan County Clerk Debra Kesecker said the PEBs were delivered Tuesday afternoon from Casto & Harris in Spencer, W.Va., who downloaded the primary information to them. The PEBs store the voting information and the results are tallied from each machine after the May 9 primary polls close, Kesecker said.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - The new touch-screen voting machines available this year to voters in Jefferson and Berkeley counties have arrived and voting officials are gearing up for the primary election that's less than one month away, voting officials said Monday. Voters in Berkeley and Jefferson counties can either use the touch-screen machines or a paper ballot to select candidates. Voting officials in the two counties said they are ironing out final details as they get ready to implement the new machines.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Insert the paper ballot and the touch screen of the AutoMARK Voter Assist terminal lights up with the command to "Vote For Not More Than TWO. " Don't like any of the choices? Then touch the write-in position on the screen to call up a video keyboard and type in your selection. Jefferson County Clerk Jennifer Maghan says there will be one of these devices at each of the county's 33 precincts in time for the May 9 primary, along with optically-scanned paper ballots that will replace the punch card ballots that have been used for years.

Next time around, vote Democratic To the editor: Is this total Republican control of government the start of America's decline? Republicans have betrayed our trust. Here are a dozen reasons to vote Democratic in 2006. 1. To save Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid and get health insurance for younger people. 2. To save Pell grants and Perkins loans and to stop big increases in state college tuition. College opportunity sustains the middle class and allows the poor to rise into it. 3. To obtain affordable housing for young people, teachers, fire fighters and police officers.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.VA. trishr@herald-mail.com Morgan County might see a cost savings if its commissioners decide to use only touch-screen voting, and a public hearing on the matter is scheduled for Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Morgan County Commission office on Fairfax Street. After meeting with West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland last week regarding touch-screen voting machines, the commissioners learned there could be some advantages to using only that process.

charlestown@herald-mail.com CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Berkeley County voters eager to see how the county's new touch-screen voting machines will work can now go into the county's voter registration office for a demonstration of the machines, a spokeswoman for the manufacturer of the machines said Tuesday. And next week in Jefferson County, officials will have a touch-screen voting machine in the Jefferson County Commission chambers for voters to see, Jefferson County Clerk Jennifer Maghan said.

trishr@herald-mail.com BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland told the Morgan County Commission and staff Monday that the May primary will be a challenge for everybody. Ireland, the state's chief elections official, was in Berkeley Springs to answer questions regarding new electronic voting and optical scanner machines. She said the new touch-screen voting machines are in place for disabled voters and "must be in place by law. " She said the touch-screen machines will be used for early voting and at the primary May 9. "I'd love to see 25 (percent)

ANNAPOLIS tammyb@herald-mail.com Though the House of Delegates voted Tuesday to override Gov. Robert Ehrlich's veto of several election law changes, two local legislators say the vote might not be the end, particularly concerning a measure to allow early voting beginning this year. Del. LeRoy E. Myers, R-Washington/Allegany, and Del. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, said Tuesday that they had heard some groups already were talking about petitioning to take the early voting bill to referendum in September.

Barnes appointed to fill vacancy FUNKSTOWN - Rick Barnes was selected by Funkstown's Town Council to fill a vacancy on the town's planning and zoning commission. The council voted unanimously Monday in favor of Barnes after reviewing his resume and background. With this vacancy filled, Town Clerk Brenda Haynes said there are no other vacancies. Funkstown to stop using voting machines FUNKSTOWN - Funkstown's town council voted Monday to stop using voting machines in town elections and use paper ballots.