Voting officials hear ideas

Board looks to improve process for next election

Voters whose last name begins with a letter from the first half of the alphabet shouldn't have to wait an hour longer to vote than Mr. Smith or Ms. Thompson.

That was just one comment offered Wednesday before the Charleston County Board of Elections & Voter Registration, which held a 90-minute public critique of what went right and what went wrong in last month's historic election.

Other comments included the need for the county to do more testing of its voting machines before the count, to do more to educate poll workers and to provide voters with a comment card in which they can record their experiences, for better or worse.

Chairman Dan Martin said that last month's vote went much more smoothly overall than the 2004 election, largely because of the board's staff, but he said the county is interested in how to make the process flow even better.

Some ideas, such as creating regional voting centers that would allow voters to cast ballots near where they work or other convenient spots, would take a change in state law, he said.

Board member Flora Condon said she wanted to see that change. "They do it in other states, and it's successful and people love it," she said of voting centers. "We've got to get with the program."

State lawmakers already are expected to debate the issue of early voting. Currently, state law allows people to vote early only if they meet one of several requirements for an absentee ballot, such as being over 65 or being handicapped or out of town on Election Day.

The record waves of absentee voters this fall convinced many election officials that some voters were fibbing about their need to vote early.

Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell didn't attend Wednesday's discussion but previously said he expects lawmakers either to crack down on enforcing absentee ballots or to allow some sort of early voting, where voters would not need a reason to vote before Election Day.

"My sense is there ought to be some sort of early voting process, but it shouldn't be the 30-day process that some states use," Harrell said. "People want us to find a way to deal with the long lines, and I'm confident the General Assembly will."

Despite the long lines and some short tempers on Election Day, fewer than a half dozen poll managers appeared before the board Wednesday.

Lou Mintz, who worked the polls in Mount Pleasant, offered several ideas, including the need to clarify who may legally cast a curbside ballot. Such ballots are allowed so handicapped voters who can't wait in a regular line can vote in their car, but Mintz said some voters can abuse that system.

He said if he hadn't personally interviewed handicapped voters, more than half of his poll workers would have been dealing with curbside ballots, slowing down the regular line even more.

Mintz also suggested that voters be given a comment card if they want one. "It would make the voter feel like they're heard and appreciated," he said.

Precinct worker Paul Hinchliff of James Island said his operation ran smoothly because poll workers met with each other before Election Day and because local businesses donated coffee and food to those in line.

He said one problem was that his Stiles Elementary School polling place twice ran out of "I Voted" stickers.

Board member Charles Shine said the county should have tested its program for counting votes. County Elections Director Marilyn Bowers said the county did, but the test failed to spot the problem that delayed the unofficial count for almost 24 hours.

"All I can say is we're human," she said.

"I agree with you, but I still say testing, testing, testing before the election," Shine said.

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