The field of election administration is slower than others to recognize and adapt new computer technologies. Some of the hesitancy reflects a deep concern to protect the integrity of the election process. Also contributing is a fear that the current process, which already is costly, might be priced out of sight with adoption of these advances in telecommunications.

The obvious application of computerization into the election process is with the voting system itself. Currently in Illinois, most voters use the punch card system, with the ballots either counted by computer in-precinct or at a central location. Before each election, the vote counting software is tested by the State Board of Elections in about 1/3 of the election jurisdictions across the state. These localities are chosen at random, and the testing is quite comprehensive. By law, a less comprehensive test is also conducted by the election authority in every jurisdiction prior to each election.

The punch card system is antiquated, however, and thus different technologies are beginning to appear. Two jurisdictions are now us- ing an optical scan system, while others are considering a direct electronic recording approach. Incidentally, all new voting systems must be approved by the SBE before they can be marketed in the state. The Illinois Election Code contains several requirements which any system must meet before it can be used in Illinois (allows voter to vote in secret, accommodates a straight party vote, will not allow over-votes, etc.).

Voting by telephone has often been mentioned as the wave of the future, but in Illinois the future is far from now. Our political culture suggests that politics is a very serious vocation in this competitive two-party state, and any major change in process is viewed with great suspicion. This is why Illinois is one of the very few states to still require signature comparison in the polling place on election day. This is viewed by many as an effective deterrent to vote fraud, and thus the maintenance of that deterrent itself becomes extremely important.

Illinois has also found that major changes in the voting process provoke confusion and concern among parts of the electorate, and most specifically older voters. Even to this day, some of the more elderly have difficulty with or object to the punch card system, preferring the old reliable paper ballot. When these concerns translate into failure to vote, that tends to retard the introduction of any new features, particularly those which represent advanced technology.

In sum, one can expect Illinois to proceed with great caution and deliberation when considering how the explosion in communications technology should impact our elections process. Illinois will move forward only when convinced that the integrity of our system will not be compromised and when it can be clearly demonstrated that the costs are within reason, both for the provider (the government) and the user (the most important party — the voter).

Ronald Michaelson is the Executive Director of the Illinois State Board of Elections. *

Illinois Parks & Recreation * May/June 1994 * 7