Lever Look-a-Like: Mahvelous in Northampton County Primary

Last November, we were lucky in Northampton County. We got away with using "Ol' Faithful," our 267 lever machines, in the municipal elections. Not only did the county save a fortune in leasing costs, but more importantly, the election itself was flawless.

But for federal elections conducted last week, we used the look-a-likes - 300 Advantage D-10 voting machines, supplied by Sequoia Voting Systems. These touch screen voting machines are almost identical in appearance to those lever machines.

So how did that work out?

Last night, Director of Administration John Conklin told council members that the word he received from election judges was "fantastic." The only objection noted by council members was a need for more machines. Ron Angle reported a shortage in eight different slate belt voting districts. Peg Ferraro added that there was a "thirty to forty minute wait" at a Bushkill Township precinct.