An elections task force appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush reached that tentative conclusion Thursday as they discussed the options available to get the state out of a punch card voting mess that made Florida a laughingstock during last year's presidential recount.
Many officials see touch screens as the best long-range solution.
The optical scan system allows voters to color in a bubble on a paper ballot, similar to the way lottery players pick numbers. The system would include counting machines at every precinct that would immediately reject any ballot where a voter attempted to vote for two or more candidates in a single race. But Paul Craft, the technical director for the state Division of Elections, suggested Thursday that Florida might want to lease elections equipment for the 2002 election while developing a new statewide system before the next presidential election in 2004. Craft said no touch screen system has met Florida's standards, and only one manufacturer has filed an application for approval of a system. Although touch screens are used in a few areas, Craft questioned whether any touch screen system could be ready for statewide use in the 2002 election.