By Leo Shane III
Gannett Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - Two state senators want Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to slow his efforts to get counties new electronic voting machines, citing lingering questions over security and compatibility.

Blackwell charged his critics Tuesday with deliberately delaying election reform by stalling his efforts to have the machines in place by November.

He warned against Ohio repeating Florida's 2000 presidential election, where George Bush's victory came down to numerous questionable punch-card ballots.

"This is nothing to be playing petty politics with," Blackwell said. "If this is delayed and we're caught up in the mire of political controversy ... the folks advocating for this delay will be causing the problem."

Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Dayton, has asked his colleagues to refuse final approval of the machines next month because officials still have too many security questions, including how voters can verify if their selections were accurately recorded.

"It does not make sense to rush to do this wrong," he said. "It seems to me we have enough questions that we should have the answers to, instead of just promises."

All but six of Ohio's 88 counties have signed on to receive new electronic voting machines, to be paid for with federal money set aside after the 2000 election. Hamilton County is one of the counties that has refused.

Blackwell will meet with lawmakers Thursday to defend the new machines' readiness for this fall's election, and to ask lawmakers to give final approval next month to the $106 million contract for their purchase.

Jacobson and Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, said they're reluctant to pay for the machines before their suppliers prove that concerns over tampering and hacking are settled.