A touching offer
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
July 18, 2007 Wednesday
FINAL EDITION
A TOUCHING OFFER
BYLINE: By ALEJANDRA CANCINO Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 3B
LENGTH: 428 words
The state may have lost faith in touch-screen voting machines, but Century Village residents say they may be just what’s needed to give democracy a boost within the community of 13,000.
They’re asking Palm Beach County to sell - or donate - four of the soon-to-be discarded machines for the community’s elections. But the county is not ready to make that decision.
The county is switching to paper-based optical-scan voting machines to comply with a new state law. The change should be completed by fall 2008.
Community officials wanted to rent the current voting machines, but when they heard the machines could be worth as little as $1, they jumped to the opportunity and offered to pay $2.
They want the machines to establish a more democratic process in their community, giving each resident an opportunity to vote.
But they have to wait until the county has clarification from the state as to what to do with the machines, Supervisor of Elections Arthur Anderson said.
Anderson said the county will use the touch-screen machines through the spring municipal elections.
After those elections, the county will keep about 1,000 of the 4,900 it bought in 2002, but he doesn’t know what the state will do with the other 3,900.
The machines have to be turned over to the state because the county accepted nearly $5 million of state money to switch to the new system - the third adopted by the county in the past seven years.
Palm Beach County paid $5,000 for each machine and still owes about $4.8 million. County officials have said the sale of the touch-screen machines could generate $1 each.
The machines might as well be donated to the community, said Phyllis Richland, one of four vice presidents of the United Civic Organization Inc., an umbrella organization for the 309 condominium associations within Century Village. Every building is an association.
Currently, one delegate is elected per every 25 apartments to cast the residents’ vote. In total, there are 7,854 apartments and 345 delegates.
But residents say some delegates vote without consulting them, Richland said. Therefore, it is vital for the community to change its current method, because not everyone is satisfied with the elected officials.
They don’t need the machines until their 2009 election and are hopeful the county will grant them their wish.
Richland said the community, known for its political activism, will not forget the county helped them in their groundbreaking mission to give a voice to every resident.
“If they can donate them, that would be wonderful,” she said.