High-tech voting hits snags

Chicago Tribune - March 21, 2006

As election officials closed the polls Tuesday evening, reports of glitches from throughout the day continued as both voters and election officials learned how to deal with a new, high-tech voting system in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

The learning curve for the new system, which combines optical-scan paper ballots and electronic touch-screen machines, left some missing the old days -- even if they included the notorious punch-card ballot and its hanging, dimpled and pregnant chads.

"It was easier to worry about hanging chads," said Daniel Fore, an election judge in Oak Park's Barrie Center polling place.

Even as election officials continued to deal with missing ballots, power cords and ballots, they were bracing for the next test of the more than $50 million system: Counting and reporting results to eagerly awaiting politicians, voters and reporters.

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