To Protect Privacy of Voters, Furniture Needs to Be Re-Arranged at Some Sites
TERRIE GONZALEZ

At one of the polling l locations in Cherokee County last week, the scanning machine was sandwiched between the door and the registration table. When several people waited in line to register, they blocked access to the scanning machine. Because ballots were inserted "face up," curious eyes could steal a glance at the ballot before it was fed into the machine.

Democrats and Republicans can most likely agree on this cornerstone of our democracy: The secret ballot should allow voters to cast ballots with confidence that their choices will remain confidential.

The concept of keeping voters' choices anonymous dates to 139 BC in ancient Rome with election laws known as Tabellariae Leges. The concept was tweaked by the Australians in 1850, expanded in the United States and it has morphed into a our current system of counting ballots via electronic voting and scanning machines. I enjoy voting on election day as opposed to early voting. There's something about

catching the whiff of the political soup boiling. Visiting with election judges, counting the number of ballots cast on the front door and admiring the spirit of those running for office are all part of the "big day" for a politico-junkie like me.

When I went to the polls last week at the second largest box in Cherokee County, I waited behind just one person before being processed at the table of my party of choice. After marking my ballot, I went to the entrance where the scanning box was located - and there was a problem. The scanning box was immediately next to the door, which was sandwiched next to one of the registration tables. A short line of six people waiting to vote completely blocked access to the ballot box/scanning machine.

A woman in front of me asked the crowd to part and allow her to insert her ballot, face up, into the scanning machine. I couldn't help but notice a man standing in line waiting to register. He inched a little to his left to allow the woman to step up to the scanning machine. But as she inserted her ballot, face up, into the machine, this man careened his neck in an oh-soobvious attempt to read her ballot. Like a curious rubbernecker at a car accident, he violated this woman's rights and deprived her of casting a ballot in secrecy.

Seconds later when it was my turn, I positioned my body to block his line of sight, but the woman in line behind him had a quick glimpse of my ballot before it disappeared into the box.

This is so wrong. And yet it is so easily fixed.

When the furniture is arranged at polling sites, election officials from both the Democratic and Republican parties should consider foot traffic patterns and imagine where people will stand when 15 or more people arrive at the same time. Scanning boxes should be placed away from the front door and away from the registration desk so that a secret ballot is exactly that - secret. No one should be able to steal a glimpse of a ballot inserted face up.

To the man who tried to sneak a peek at the ballots, shame on you.

The election last week went very smoothly at the Cherokee County Clerk's office, and our hats are off to Laverne Lusk and her staff.

Ballots were counted and announced promptly, with the final ballot tabulated at exactly 9:51 p.m.

Cherokee County's success contrasts sharply with a glitch in neighboring Angelina County. Voting machines were unable to process the early voting ballots, and they were ultimately counted by hand. Final tabulations weren't available until 4:30 a.m.

Angelina County's problems underscore how complicated the process has become with the HAVA Voting Act. It's hard to anticipate all the Murphy's Law problems that can crop up on election day with voting machines.

Great job, Laverne and crew.