CLEVELAND - Former politicians are campaigning again in Ohio's most populous county - to sell the government new electronic voting machines. Manufacturers are relying on local political veterans as sales representatives as they vie for a $20 million contract to replace paper ballots in the Cleveland area.

        Among those trying to get Cuyahoga County to buy the machines are Anthony Celebrezze Jr., a former Ohio attorney general and secretary of state; Patrick Sweeney, a former Ohio House majority leader; and Anthony Sinagra, a former state senator.

        Other insiders such as Donald Spicer, former director of the Franklin County Board of Elections in Columbus, hope their knowledge of election bureaucracy will help make a sale.

        “As a former election official, I understand the important role of the county commissioners in the process,” Mr. Spicer said in a letter to local elections officials. “Should you need assistance in convincing commissioners of the cost-effectiveness of our system, we would be happy to work with you.”

        Mr. Spicer is the Ohio representative for the California-based UniLect Corp., one of the smaller manufacturers.

        Voting-machine makers need the political connections, said Bill Stotesbery, a vice president of Hart InterCivic of Texas.

        “You cut through the clutter by making sure you have strong local connections,” he said.

        Thomas Jelepis, director of the Cuyahoga County elections board, said lobbyists - no matter how politically connected - will not have an advantage in the bidding.

        “If you are an out-of-town company, you want a big name that knows the lay of the land,” he said. “But, hey, all the companies have big names here, so they are washing each other out.”

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