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Paper Trail For Votes Will Not Be Ready For Primary

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 24, 2008

Despite election reforms Florida officials approved last year, most voters in the state will rely this month on the same touch-screen machines that have come under fire nationwide.

That's because election supervisors are still working to implement the 2007 paper-trail legislation, which legally won't take effect until this summer.

With Tuesday's vote looming, even officials who insisted last year on the necessity of paper trails for votes now say they think results from the presidential primary and property-tax cut referendum will be accurate. Election watchdogs, however, say the promise of paper ballots later does not eliminate concerns about touch-screen voting now.

Metro, Page 4

•Gov. Charlie Crist campaigned in 2006 on the need for paper trails and championed the cause throughout last year's legislative session. Asked this week about touch-screen machines that all but 15 counties will use this month, however, Crist said he is confident in the process.

•Buddy Johnson, elections supervisor for Hillsborough County, said voters "should be very confident" in the system.

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