Election process funds on way

The federal Election Assistance Commission is hoping to send state election officials more than $2 billion to implement the Help America Vote Act by early May.

Commission officials said a series of administrative hurdles were completed this past week with the publishing of 55 state and territorial election reform plans in the Federal Register.

For Nevada, Chief Deputy Secretary of State Renee Parker said that should get Nevada its $5.7 million in 2003 money in May. But she said she isn't certain the commission will be able to release the $9 million allotted Nevada for 2004 at the same time.

The problem for Nevada and many other states is they weren't sure how much money they were to get in 2004 and so didn't get the Legislature to appropriate the 5 percent state match.

She said if the commission agrees to release that money, Secretary of State Dean Heller will ask the legislative Interim Finance Committee to appropriate the state match - estimated at just under $500,000 - at its next meeting.

Most of Nevada's share of the $2.3 billion being distributed nationwide will pay for electronic, touch screen voting machines Heller has ordered all Nevada counties to use in this year's elections. Nevada has signed a contract with Sequoia Voting Systems to provide the machines, which function much like an ATM.

But he also wants each of those machines to have a printer unit to give voters a way to verify the machine is accurately recording their ballots. Those units are not yet certified and Heller's office is trying to set up a certification process in case the federal commission doesn't get that job done in time.

Heller originally told county election officials he would have the machines here in March.

But if the money doesn't arrive until May, neither will the machines. Clerks say they need the machines as soon as possible for training and testing.

But in any case, they must have them up and operating by the start of early voting Aug. 21.

The federal commission also announced it will form the 110-member standards board and 55-member board of advisors as well as the technical guidelines development committee.

The commission also plans to hold a hearing on electronic voting including discussion on the reliability and security of electronic voting machines. The hearing is planned within the next 45 days.

Contact Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or at 687-8750.