By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Hamilton County Board of Elections Friday defied the Ohio Secretary of State and refused to pick new electronic machines designed to change the way voters vote.

The board said there were too many unanswered questions about the security of the electronic touchpad systems, which are meant to replace punch-card ballots like those used in the 2000 presidential election fiasco in Florida.

"It would be to our benefit to know the security issues have been addressed before making a decision," said Tim Burke, chairman of the county Board of Elections.

Electronic voting machines, required by federal law, will allow voters to select their president the same way they select whether they want to make a withdrawal or deposit at an ATM. In Ohio, 69 of the 88 counties, including Hamilton, Butler and Warren, are still using punch-card ballots.

But a recent state review of the top four touch-screen companies found security gaps in every system. Burke said he expects it to take at least three months for the companies to plug those holes and for the state to certify the fixes.

The odds of Hamilton County having touch-screen voting by November are about 50-50 at this point, Burke said.

Counties are also waiting for the money to buy the new machines, estimated to cost about $9 million in Hamilton County's case.

"There's a lot of little unanswered questions, so I think our Board of Elections took a prudent track here," said Sherrie Heyse, co-president of the local League of Women Voters. "This is going to be a massive change ... in how people vote."

But the office of Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was not pleased with the bipartisan board's 4-0 vote to ignore a Jan. 15 deadline to select a system and supplier.

"Members of the Board of Elections have had ample time and abundant information on the systems being offered," spokesman Carlo LoParo said. "Counties that are incapable of making a decision will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis."

Money's no excuse, either, LoParo said. The voting changes will cost about $105 million statewide, and the state has $41 million in hand. Another $52 million is on its way from Washington, he said, and Congress is expected to approve a final $40 million for Ohio within a month.

LoParo would not specify possible courses of action, but county Board of Elections Director Julia Stautberg said the state could pick a system on the county's behalf.

Hamilton joined Montgomery and Cuyahoga counties as the only counties fighting the deadline to make a voting system choice, LoParo said.

Butler County's Board of Elections picked Diebold Election Systems Thursday night, said director Robert Mosketti. Butler officials hope to have the new touch-screen equipment installed and operating by November, but they haven't yet received the $3.2 million they need to pay for it.

Warren County also has chosen Diebold, although it's in no hurry to trade in its punch cards.

"In a presidential year, it's chaotic enough," said Susan Johnson, director of the board of elections there.

The selection deadline did not apply to Clermont County. The county has optical-scan voting - similar to those tests in which students must use No. 2 pencils. That's permissible under the federal Help America Vote Act as long as upgrades are made to allow the blind and the hearing-impaired to cast their ballots without assistance.

The Help America Vote Act was passed after the 2000 presidential election, when punch-card ballots caused problems with the Florida count. All states are supposed to switch to electronic voting in time for the November election unless they get waivers.

Blackwell has requested an extension for Ohio until 2006, but he still expects to put new machines in most counties this year, LoParo said.

Some Ohio counties are expected to switch by as early as the August special election, he said.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com