Real Headaches Could Come After the Polls Close

None by KCPW

(KCPW News Utah's first general election using touch-screen voting machines appears to have gone smoothly. But poll watcher and U of U professor Thad Hall says challenges with the new machines may have only just begun.

"The big issue now will be how close all these elections are, because when you get into the need to do recounts, you get into the belly of the beast of voting," says Hall.

In particularly close Utah races, county clerks will also be required to conduct an audit of the voting machines by comparing the computer tallies with the paper printout from each machine. So while touch-screen machines eliminate any likelihood of the infamous hanging-chad scenario in 2000, Hall says there are other concerns:

"You'll see a different type of lawsuit about for example the chain of custody of voting machines and whether or not the audited results are the same and things like that," says Hall. "You will see people being very contentious about whether or not they lost fair and square."

Based on pre-election polls, a handful of races in Salt Lake County could be close enough to require a recount. In addition, election officials will be required to do a statewide audit of one percent of voting machines to check for accuracy.

Polls remain open until 8 tonight.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom and Election Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW