New Voting System In The Works

The November general election may be the last time Oklahoma uses its current election system. State Election Board Secretary Michael Clingman says the state can boast it has avoided technical glitches that have plagued other states in recent years. But, Clingman says it will have to be upgraded.
Oklahoma has $30 million from the 2002 federal Help America Vote Act tucked away to improve its optical scanning system of voting.

Clingman says officials want to keep the paper ballots and optical scanners, but they want to improve the technology. Much of the new system's cost will be for replacing the main frame computer at the Capitol. About 3,000 voting machines also will be replaced in the state's 77 counties.

Clingman says Oklahoma is waiting for new voting machines to be perfected that retain the optical scanning feature. Congress approved money to upgrade election systems after voting irregularities in the 2000 presidential election in Florida led to the Supreme Court decision that decided the presidential election in favor of George W. Bush over Al Gore.