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The State of Utah is about to make a huge investment in electronic voting machines. It is vital to get the decision right so as not to be saddled with systems that aren’t reliable, durable or secure.
The machines must be in place by next January 1 in order to comply with the national Help America Vote Act passed by Congress following Florida’s hanging chad mess during the 2000 presidential election. Uncle Sam is providing $20.5 million, although the cost could be nearly $8 million more than that, depending on which machines the state chooses to purchase.
A statewide selection committee has been evaluating options for over two-years. On Wednesday, there’ll be a mock election to give Utah voters a chance to try the four voting machines being considered. It will be held at the South Town Center Mall in Sandy from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. We urge you to try them out and offer an opinion.
In coming weeks the committee will make a recommendation to Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert, who has the final say. Then Herbert will hold a public hearing before giving the go-ahead. In KSL’s view, appropriate procedures seem to be in place for Herbert to make an informed decision - one that will impact Utah elections for decades to come.
