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Election contract
awarded, criticized

Cayetano defends giving
the deal to the firm that
had problems in 1998

By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

Amid a strong defense from Gov. Ben Cayetano and charges of "irresponsibility" from Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Lingle, the state has signed an eight-year contract with Elections Systems & Software to count ballots in the next four election cycles.

The new contract comes three weeks after both the state and the ballot-counting firm had planned to start training precinct workers for the fall elections.

The $10-million contract, which was released yesterday, says ES&S will be responsible for training precinct workers and briefing voters on the new system.

Dwayne Yoshina, chief elections officer, who approved the contract, said in a written release that ES&S "will provide high-speed, centralized counters for absentee ballots, as well as precinct counters in every precinct." The ballots will be printed in Hawaii. Yoshina was not available to answer questions about the contract yesterday.

Meanwhile, Lingle, who previously criticized Yoshina's operation of the 1998 election that she lost to Cayetano, said the next contract raises many questions.

"If the company had performed admirably in the last election, I would understand a multiyear contract," she said.

"But they performed in a questionable manner in 1998, and I think it was irresponsible to award this to a company with such a poor track record," she said.

Cayetano, however, asked that Lingle and other politicians "cease their criticism based on unfounded claims and speculation." Cayetano, who worked with Yoshina when he was lieutenant governor and in charge of state elections, six years ago, called the career state worker someone of "real honesty and integrity." Lingle, however, said the problems with the past election were caused "because this is not a competent office."

In 1998, seven malfunctioning ballot-counting machines led to an exhaustive recounting of the several state races, including the race for governor. The audit didn't change the outcome of any elections. ES&S paid $280,000 for the audit and another $250,000 to settle contract disputes.

In the new contract, ES&S will be responsible for a recount only if there are problems that are "the result of systems hardware or software." Also it will pay up to $300,000 for any recount.

The new contract also contains penalties for misprinted ballots or machines that fail on election day and are not replaced.

Also included in the contract is the stipulation: "Failure to provide the state with correct and accurate election reports on election day shall result in damages of $500 per day."

Cost of the elections will be split between the counties and the state, with the state picking up half the tab every year.

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http://www.hawaii.gov/