Kim Alexander's Weblog: Yolo County picks Vote-PAD for accessibility

One big advantage of the Vote-PAD device is that it is non-technical; there is no software, no electricity, no mechanical devices. This reduces the cost dramatically. It also may mean that the Vote-PAD device does not need to be tested or certified by the state, since it is not a voting system, but rather an assistive device. If Vote-PAD can bypass the certification process, it's possible that many other counties in California and elsewhere will consider this a viable option to electronic voting machines made by the major equipment vendors. Vote-PAD is based on a plastic sleeve with voting positions marked by tactile bumps. Next to the bumps are small, precision cut holes correspond to the voting position. An ordinary ballot can be slipped into the sleeve and voters with vision problems can listen to a variable speed audio script them through the ballot. Votes are indicated by filling in the appropriate holes. Before she chose Vote-PAD, Oakley interviewed other vendors of voting systems for purchase and implementation. That committee that helped her decide, she said, was chaired by retired county supervisor Betsy Marchand, staffed by retired county clerk / recorder Tony Bernhard and included a cross-section of Yolo County citizens, including representatives of the blind and disabled communities, representatives from all areas of the county, including poll workers. According to Oakley, they recommended a computer based system called the "Automark," which was manufactured and sold by Election Systems and Software, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska. She said that ESS's position as the sole vendor in California places their customers in an awkward position. "How do you negotiate when there is only one candidate for your business?

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