Touch-screen ballots voted out in Florida: governor set to sign bill making optical scan the system of choice.(NEWS)

Publication: Computerworld

Publication Date: 14-MAY-07

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THE FLORIDA Legislature this month passed a bill that would require all voting districts in the state to replace most touch-screen voting systems with optical scan devices. The bill is expected to be signed within days by Gov. Charlie Crist.

The bill estimates the cost of replacing the touch-screen systems at $28.5 million.

The legislature's bill is nearly identical to legislation filed by Crist in February.

However, Crist's call for a paper trail of votes cast on the few touch-screen systems that would remain in the state was rejected by lawmakers. Under the latest proposed law, touch-screen systems would be used only by handicapped voters and would not require a paper trail, officials said.

After the May 3 vote in the Florida House of Representatives, Crist said in a statement that "Florida voters will be able to have more confidence in the voting process and the reliability of Florida's elections."

The vote came...

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