Past problems of election system downplayed

LIHU’E—The vote-counting system the state of Hawai’i and Kaua’i County is

trumpeting as an improvement over the old punchcard system isn’t quite a

stranger to the islands.

ES&S, developer of the system, ran the 1998

election for Hawai’i on a one-year contract. Although there were minor

problems, election officials generally considered ES&S’ automated system an

improvement over the antiquated punchcard system previously in use. Kaua’i

County officials felt good enough about it to stage a press briefing about the

system last week.

“I would say there were insignificant problems” in 1998,

said Aisha A.C. Wang, a voter education specialist for the state Office of

Elections in Pearl City.

“Out of more than 300 machines, there were only

seven that had to be checked,” Wang said. State officials conducted a manual

audit in those cases.

The $10 million system, to be used through the 2006

elections, is being paid for by the state and local municipalities. The state

pays half and the counties split the rest.

Payments are based on voter

registration numbers. Kaua’i County, with approximately 28,000 registered

voters, will pay proportionately less than other counties.

Wang said that

after the 1998 elections, the state put out a call for bids. Of the three

finalists chosen (from eight bidders) ES&S was the only firm willing to put

up a bond. That cinched the deal, and the state and the company negotiated the

contract now in effect.

Lyndon Yoshioka, Kaua’i County’s elections

administrator, reiterated there were no serious problems with ES&S

equipment locally, and that ultimately it will save Kaua’i citizens money on

election costs.

Andrea Gray, a Kaua’i resident and League of Women Voters

official, said the only problem she remembered on Kaua’i during the ’98

election was related to the feeding of ballots in one machine at

Kapa’a.

Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext.

252).