League of Women Voters urges County Board to delay or reject touch-screen voting

League of Women Voters urges County Board to delay or reject touch-screen voting

The Oshkosh Area League of Women Voters is asking the Winnebago County Board to delay a vote on or completely reject controversial touch-screen voting machines intended to comply with a federal law.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, League representative Kathy Propp echoed the national organization's stance -- that touch screen voting may have fundamental flaws. "We are not advocating in favor of any particular vendor," Propp's statement reads. "However, the League of Women Voters has serious questions about whether the Diebold touch screen voting machines meet our criteria of 'secure, accurate, recountable, accessible, with voter verifiable paper record.' The county and municipal clerks acted in good faith to recommend this purchase; however, LWV believes that purchase of Diebold touch screen voting machines would be a mistake."

The Oshkosh chapter urges the county board to put off or kill a resolution calling for a $288,000 purchase of 50 Diebold Election Systems touch-screen units, intended to provider greater ease and independence in voting for disabled, visually impaired and blind people.