VOTING GETS A NEW LOOK PUNCH-CARD SYSTEM GONE.Byline: ANGIE VALENCIA-MARTINEZ Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. -- When Ventura County voters head to the polls June 6, they will no longer find an antiquated punch-card ballot, but a scanning system that is supposed to be more reliable. Instead of punching holes, voters will mark their selections on paper ballots with ink. The results will then be tallied by an optical scanner See scanner. at each precinct. ``It's a voting method that has been around for a long time, a very proven system,'' said Gene Browning, the county's assistant registrar of voters. Using the new system, voters will make their choices using a blue or black ink pen "Ink pen" redirects here. For the writing instrument, see Pen. Ink Pen is a daily comic strip by Phil Dunlap that started in 2005 and is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate. This comic strip is about an employment agency for out-of-work cartoon characters. , then feed them into the scanner -- similar to machines used for standardized testing in schools -- that will reject ballots with errors. People with physical disabilities who might not be able to use the ink-blot system can still cast their ballots in secret using a touch-screen system, Browning said. After more than three decades, Ventura County switched systems because of a U.S. Department of Justice consent decree A settlement of a lawsuit or criminal case in which a person or company agrees to take specific actions without admitting fault or guilt for the situation that led to the lawsuit. A consent decree is a settlement that is contained in a court order. for violations of the Voting Rights Act Voting Rights Act Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1965 to ensure the voting rights of African Americans. Though the Constitution's 15th Amendment (passed 1870) had guaranteed the right to vote regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” . Under the 2004 agreement, the county was obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. to provide more voting services for Spanish-speaking voters, including bilingual ballots, and more bilingual poll workers. The consent decree required a single bilingual ballot in English and Spanish instead of separate ones -- an impossible task with the old punch cards, officials said. The county also switched systems to meet requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act The Help America Vote Act (HAVA, Pub.L. 107-252) is a United States federal law passed the House 357-48 and 92-2 in the Senate[1] and was signed into law by President Bush on October 29, 2002. , which requires that each election use accessible voting machines that give voters a chance to check and correct errors in private. The county spent $6 million on the new system, which was funded with state and federal money, Browning said. Elections workers have held several demonstrations throughout the county in senior centers, public libraries and city halls to familiarize voters with the new system. The demonstrations, which began in March, have drawn anywhere from five to 200 people, said Judith Rodriguez Judith Rodriguez (born 1936) is a contemporary Australian poet. Judith Rodriguez was born in Perth and grew up in Brisbane. She has published numerous volumes of poetry, some illustrated by her own woodcuts, edited an anthology and the collected poems of Jennifer Rankin. , elections program supervisor. ``At first they're a little skeptical about it, mostly our older folks,'' she said. ``Once they see what it is and how easy it can be, the response has been very positive.'' Marion Erbe, past president of the Simi Valley Republican Women club, got a peek at the system during the city's annual Street Fair last weekend. Information on demonstration sessions is available from the Ventura County Elections Division Web site at http://recorder.countyofventura.org/elecidx.htm. angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com (805) 583-7604 |
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