Florida governor wants voting paper trail
1:15 AM
Posted: Wednesday, January 31, 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Charlie Crist will propose millions of dollars to ensure that Florida voting machines leave a paper trail in response to complaints about touch-screen balloting, a Florida congressman said Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Democrat, said he has spoken frequently with the Republican governor about the voting machines and will join Crist in announcing the proposal Thursday.
"Gov. Crist has made an extraordinary commitment to ensuring fairness and integrity in our election process," Wexler told The Associated Press. The governor will propose spending at least $20 million, he said.
Crist spokeswoman Erin Isaac declined to confirm or deny the report.
Electronic voting machines were touted as an answer to vote-counting problems that emerged in Florida's 2000 presidential recount. But the touch-screen machines have also been the focus of a contested congressional race after they indicated about 18,000 Sarasota County voters failed to cast a ballot in the November 2006 contest.
Republican Vern Buchanan won the seat by 369 votes, and the result is being contested by his opponent, Democrat Christine Jennings. The seat was formerly held by Katherine Harris, the former secretary of state who presided over the 2000 recount and who failed to oust U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson last November.
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Democrat, said he has spoken frequently with the Republican governor about the voting machines and will join Crist in announcing the proposal Thursday.
"Gov. Crist has made an extraordinary commitment to ensuring fairness and integrity in our election process," Wexler told The Associated Press. The governor will propose spending at least $20 million, he said.
Crist spokeswoman Erin Isaac declined to confirm or deny the report.
Electronic voting machines were touted as an answer to vote-counting problems that emerged in Florida's 2000 presidential recount. But the touch-screen machines have also been the focus of a contested congressional race after they indicated about 18,000 Sarasota County voters failed to cast a ballot in the November 2006 contest.
Republican Vern Buchanan won the seat by 369 votes, and the result is being contested by his opponent, Democrat Christine Jennings. The seat was formerly held by Katherine Harris, the former secretary of state who presided over the 2000 recount and who failed to oust U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson last November.
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