Multimedia Reporting (Utsler)

When asked about the specific directions he has received on the new wellness policy, Larsen replied, “None. I have not seen anything posted or mentioned in any of the meetings. If it was, then it was not a major issue and was something that was just touched on.”

This is the first full year where Lawrence schools have implemented the federally-mandated wellness program. The policy is a three-pronged strategy to promote nutrition, nutrition education and physical activity. In addition to encouraging students to become more health-conscious, the policy also introduces language that has not been discussed: teachers are directed to be “role models” for students in terms of their food and drink during school hours. And while it may be premature to judge the overall effectiveness of the policy after the first few months, the initial report from teachers like Jake Larsen speaks volumes.

This lack of follow-through on implementation is a problem that has plagued other wellness programs around the nation. The American Journal of Public Health published a 1998 study that determined insufficient participation by school staff dooms most efforts, concluding “These discouraging results…call into question the utility of school site teacher wellness programs.”

Larsen is not alone in his belief that inadequate training has been given to teachers. A 2001 study by Dr. Perez-Rodrigo and Dr. Aranceta published in Public Health Nutrition, finds that is a common problem in wellness programs. “Teachers often complain about the lack of explicit curriculum, suitable materials or training experience.” They conclude that resources and teacher training are “essential to program success.”

Part of the school district’s wellness policy mandates that teachers are to serve as role models for students in their eating habits during school hours. In certain respects, this is an essential component for a wellness program to be successful. On the other hand, some feel the policy is overbearing in its demands on teachers.

“It's one of those things that looks awesome on paper but is not that great of a practice. Of course we want to model the best things for kids during the day,” said Jessica Larsen, a teacher at Hillcrest Elementary, “On the other hand, there are days when I just have to have a Diet Coke at lunch and I'll take it back to the room to finish while there's orchestra going on, or I’ll have a piece of chocolate in the afternoon.”

This sentiment is not unheard of for school district administrators. “In trying to enforce changes, we have received mixed reviews. Some feel that we have overstepped our authority and some feel that we are too lenient and could do more,” said Paula Murrish, Director of Food Services for Lawrence Public Schools.

Jacob Larsen agrees with this assessment, saying that while “policing” school staff could become a slippery slope, it may not go far enough to be truly effective. “If schools really want to make the teachers good role models, then maybe they should institute a weight limit, exercise chart, and have teachers complete a fitness report on themselves each year.”

Murrish hopes that won’t be necessary. “We are not wanting to become ‘food police,’ so we will try to explain why we have these goals and expectations and hopefully we can educate any personnel who feel differently.” As far as teacher awareness is concerned, Murrish contends the plan is still in its early stages of development: “Since the policy was just approved by the BOE (Board of Education) in June, we are still getting the word out and working through staff concerns.”

One of the architects of the district’s wellness policy, Deputy Superintendent Bruce Passman, agrees that finding the middle ground between education and intrusion can be difficult, but says the end goal of improving student health demands action. “Teachers are significant role models for our students. Their choices about food and drink, particularly those in the workplace, have a bearing on students' eating choices. We don't ever intend to patrol our teachers on this issue, but have high expectations and believe teachers will do their part in terms of implementing the policy.”

It seems that the district is trapped in a “Catch-22:” they don’t want to police food choices made by teachers, but at the same time, stepping back from a hard-line approach can diminish the effectiveness of the policy. Jessica Larsen offered a recent example of current staff attitudes: the day before Halloween, a teacher copied a comic strip for others to read where a boss had banned sugary treats in the workplace. Larsen said that the intention was clearly to poke fun at the new policy, saying it is “kind of a running joke right now.”

And while the policy is a “running joke” in some schools, in others like Central Junior High, it receives little to no attention at all. Jake Larsen said that “Teachers are concerned about so many other issues that this policy is not even given the light of day. IEP meetings, SIT plans, testing, and the No Child Left Behind Act, along with grading and daily lessons keep the policy on the backburner.” Jessica Larsen agrees, saying “It's ‘one more thing’ we'll have to take care of on top of a million other things.”

Despite this grim assessment, Murrish still holds hope for the effectiveness of the program, saying she believes the district is doing the right thing and that the changes will simply take time to get used to. Dr. Passman echoes that sentiment, saying that results will not be seen overnight. “The change in eating and physical activity habits have occurred over decades and it will take vigilance by schools and communities to turn this around. Bottom line: we have an opportunity through good teaching and being role models to [enable] our students to live long and healthy lives. I think it’s worth it.”

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"That was at the request of the North Lawrence Improvement Association. The city doesn't do that on its own," said Mike Boyle, head of the neighborhood activist group dedicated to fostering the interests of residents and businesses north of the river. "I've been president of the NLIA for 11 years, and we've been asking for a fire station over here since before I was president."

Despite being isolated by the Kansas River, no fire or emergency services are based in North Lawrence. The likelihood of a new fire station being built north of the river seemed to depend upon who was asked.

"It's not cost effective," said Rich Barr, fire marshal for the Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical. "The city can not justify moving a station over there and keeping one downtown."

Barr said that moving the downtown station, officially known as station number one, would put the downtown area at a greater risk of conflagration, because a fire could impact numerous structures built tightly together.

Fire stations number one on 746 Kentucky Street and number six on 225 Maine Street are the closest of five stations to North Lawrence. Water rescue boats for both the Kansas River and Clinton Lake are located at station number three on 3708 West Sixth Street. In the event of delay on the bridges to North Lawrence, emergency vehicles would be forced to use Interstate 70.

However, there discussions that the downtown station could be moved if the city commission decided to expand the existing Lawrence Public Library rather than moving it to an alternative site. Both buildings presently share the same block downtown.

While Ted Boyle hopes that a new library displaces the old fire station, Rich Barr said the Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical would prefer another alternative. "We don't want to relocate the station," said Barr. "The new plans for the library include reincorporating a new station into the exiting building.

However, Ted Boyle is confident, based on his discussions with the city commission. "It looks like we will probably get a fire station within the next maybe three to five years, especially with them talking about a new library, if they choose to do it," said Ted Boyle. "We'll probably get a fire station before we get a grocery store."

Meanwhile, Boyle will prepare for next year when a major reconstruction of the intersection of North Second and Locust streets will hinder traffic through the area for months. Commuters will undoubted see another lone fire engine parked somewhere near by.

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Kevin Kane

Safe or unsafe; that is the question

It is supposed to be one of the safer places to send your children. Parents should be at ease once they drop their children off for the day and leave. It is a place of education, fun and bonding. That description has recently been modified and has been replaced with dangerous, worried and precaution. Jeff Jacobson is a Lawrence resident and high school parent that has noticed the recent changes.
“I worry about sending my daughter to school,” said Jacobson. “I went to school during race riots and everything else back in the 1960’s and I think it was safer to go to school back then.”
These are the schools of North America today. Over the past three months, there have been five deadly school shootings in America and Canada, from Bailey, Colo., to Montreal. These once safe and educational places have been transformed into places with crisis response plans, metal detectors and security cameras. Parents now have to worry about sending their kids to school, a place once thought of as being safe.
Even more alarming is where these incidents are taking place. They aren’t happening in the major inner-city schools but rather occurring in small towns and communities that thought of themselves as safe and protected from such incidents. Bailey, Colo. and Essex, Vt. are not big cities with thousands of people living there. They are smaller towns and cities that did not expect such tragedies to occur in their homes.
Lawrence schools have not experienced any type of severe violence, but are they prepared for them? What are schools in this area doing to keep the safety of children and the concern of parents in tact? Sue Morgan, president of the Lawrence School board said it is a tough task to balance safety and a quality education. “We want to keep our students safe, that is our top priority, but we also want to keep a positive learning environment both at the same time.”
Schools in Lawrence have guidelines and preparations in the case of such an emergency. Schools do drills that simulate a possible crisis situation. In these drills the buildings are locked down, classrooms are bolted and students are told to get down on the ground. Staff members are required to receive crisis training, so in the case of such a situation, they are prepared and have an understanding of what to do. The school board and local schools have cooperated with Lawrence police and ask for their suggestions as to how they can keep students safe. In all of the Lawrence schools, there is a “locked door” policy, which funnels all guests and students entering the school through monitored doors of the school.
Morgan says they want less invasive means of security at Lawrence schools. Recently, surveillance cameras have been installed in Lawrence High School, Lawrence Free State and the junior high schools. The cameras serve as a way to view students during the school day and have the ability to zoom, rewind, replay and store video-footage. Morgan feels that adding other, more invasive securities such as metal detectors takes away from a positive learning environment. “We don’t want to add a negative factor for learning, and we feel items such as those take away from a positive learning environment. We have taken a pro-active yet moderated approach to school safety.”
Jacobson feels the same way about metal detectors and other invasive forms of security. He feels they slow down the school day for kids and are very tedious. He would rather the teachers and school administrators get to know students. “I think they should talk to the kids, and spend time looking at kids who could possibly do something.”
Lawrence schools are doing what they feel is necessary to keep the schools and everyone inside them safe. They have added security cameras, established locked door policies and employ security guards all in an effort to help protect students and faculty. They have taken the necessary precautions and have specific plans in place if such an event were to occur. But with all of the security devices and precautions in place, you never know what could happen.
It is an event that has given many parents and their children reason for concern. These events have taken place at similar schools across the country, so what is the chance of it occurring somewhere close to home? “It’s something I worry about almost everyday,” said Jacobson. “You just have to hope that it doesn’t happen and that if it does, the kids and the faculty are well-prepared.”

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The downtown parking advisory board is one of many advisory boards in the city of Lawrence. Most of the boards meet regularly to discuss issues and present recommendations to city commissioners. The downtown parking advisory board meets on an as needed basis. City officials said the board has not been active for the past few years because it has not been needed.

Lawrence Mayor Mike Amyx said since the completion of the parking garage a number of years ago there have not been any major parking projects for the board to consider. “Until we have a project, there is not a whole lot for the board to do,” he said.

Most board members disagree. The board can discuss smaller downtown parking concerns. The members can also serve as good resources to the city. They are all active in the community and many of them work in the downtown area. They have knowledge and talents and out of respect for their willingness to serve the city should use them.

The downtown parking advisory board includes a city commissioner and 6 Lawrence residents. The commissioner is appointed to the board and the members volunteer to be on it. The current roster on the city webpage is out of date. Two of the 6 members have incorrect contact information listed. The other 4 members, who joined the board during 2003 and 2004, have never attended an advisory board meeting. Up until a few weeks ago, City Commissioner Mike Rundle was not aware that he was the commissioner assigned to this board. He thought he had been replaced over two years ago. Not only has the board been unused, it has also been neglected. As a result downtown parking concerns have been neglected.

Commissioner Rundle said “there is not any eminent project” the city is working on but “parking is a perennial problem.” The board could be used to discuss smaller concerns. Aimee Polson joined the board because she thought it would be beneficial. She said that there are “issues that haven’t been addresses that should have.” Among these issues she listed moped parking and line of sight concerns. Pat Kehde said, as a downtown proprietor, she becomes aware of many issues through customers and other business owners. Had the board been active over the past few years, these concerns could have been discussed. Polson said she “feels the city is missing out on a resource.” “This is a free service the city isn’t taking advantage of,” she said.

Other members agree. Executive Director of the Lawrence Public Library, Bruce Flanders is also a member of the board. He said “it’s unfortunate” that the board has not met together since he joined. “More than anything, I am somewhat disappointed,” he said. “I would have been pleased to be a part of the discussions and involved.”

Flanders joined the board because he “thought it would be useful.” With the library redevelopment project underway an active downtown parking advisory board would be a great benefit. “The library has a tremendous need for parking in its current location and as this project moves forward, parking demands will be extraordinary,” he said. He is hopeful that the advisory board will become active again and can help with these parking concerns.

Both Mayor Amyx and City Manager Dave Corliss agree that the inactivity of the downtown parking advisory board has not been a priority or a concern. But, they do think they will try to utilize the board as a part of the library redevelopment project. Until that time and after that project is completed, Corliss thinks the city should consider the actual need of this particular advisory board. “We don’t build parking garages ever year,” he said.

Large parking projects are important, but this isn’t a matter of just building parking garages. It is a matter of building a community. The downtown parking advisory board is made up of member of the Lawrence community who want to serve and work through parking concerns, even small ones. Kehde said, “I think it would be polite once people have volunteered to be on a board to at least have them meet once a year, face to face, with the city.”

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When Sonja Kaechele jumps on her bike in the morning to get to school, or in the afternoon to shop for groceries, or in the evening to pedal to the Student Recreation Fitness Center, she is never free of fear. Potholes on the streets, sidewalks that suddenly end or – even worse – careless drivers make these days hard times for cyclists, said Kaechele, a 24-year-old graduate student from Germany. “I don’t feel as safe as I do in Germany, but I probably shouldn’t worry too much about it. Americans are simply less used to cyclists and less aware of them,” Kächele said.

However, she is not alone. With the city of Lawrence growing and gas prices rising, more people now resort to their bikes – either to commute or for recreational purposes. And as they hit the road, they face safety issues.

Paul Davis, manager of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, said that most of his customers were concerned about safety issues. “We have seen a sharp increase in customers over the last two years,” he said. “These people think about their safety. Their biggest concern is whether or not drivers are aware of them as cyclists.”

What most road users probably do not know: The Kansas state law provides rules that regulate the co-existence of drivers and cyclists. One requirement is that drivers give cyclists at least four feet of clearance on the street. Craig Weinaug, Douglas County administrator and vice president of the Lawrence Bicycle Club, said that a lack of awareness of such laws can trigger misunderstandings on both sides. “Most people don’t know what the state law is,” Weinaug said. One common problem is that bikers ride too close to the curb, he said, because they do not know about their rights. “Often times, cars don’t go to the other lane. If they did, it would give the biker enough space and both would be safer,” Weinaug said.

Erik Struckhoff, member of the Lawrence bicycle advisory board, says that everybody could do something to make things easier. “By riding predictibly for example, cyclists can improve their own safety. The biggest hazard is not being hit from behind but rather from the side by a turning motorist,” Struckhoff said. Predictibility is also one of the key words in the Kansas Bicycle Safety guide that can be viewed online at http://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/biking/bicyclesafety.asp. The guide says that everybody should maintain a safety first attitude. “In a crash, whether your fault or not your fault,” the guide reads, “you lose.”

Beyond relying on the awareness of cyclists and drivers, the city of Lawrence has its own ways to further improve bike safety through a set of different measures. Thus, the city has designated already existing roads as so-called bike routes. “Bike routes tell people where other people are riding,” said Struckhoff. “Bike routes are defined by safety, convenience, directness and flatness. They are easy to access and they mostly lead through low-speed and low-motorized areas.” Unless a road is resurfaced – as parts of 19th Street have been recently – no new bike lanes can be added.

“Unfortunately, we can’t always go back and add bike lanes to existing roads,” Struckhoff said. Besides being a matter of time, adding bike lanes often is also a matter of legality or space. “A street has to be at least 36 feet wide, that is 18 feet per lane,” said Struckhoff. “The drive lane has to be at least 12 feet wide, the bike lane four feet. The gutter and the curb need another 2 feet,” said Struckhoff. “Most of the existing roads do not meet these requirements.”
And even if adding bike lanes seems possible, it is possibly not reasonable. Naismith Dr. is one example. 600 cars can cross the intersection of Naismith Dr. and 23th Street every hour, said Struckhoff. However, the intersection was designed to bear up to 3600 cars per hour. It seems as if one lane of Naismith Dr. could easily be closed and declared a bike lane. “It is not that easy,” Struckhoff said. “On gamedays, for example, we face a higher amount of cars and then we need the two lanes. This is for sure a legitimate reason.” Thus, the city and the advisory board do not look back. “We want to work timely and cost-effective. That’s why we plan ahead,” Struckhoff said.

With Lawrence constantly growing; the city has the opportunity to add new bike lanes or even separate bike paths. “The city and its developers have done a great job so far on following up with new transportation facilities,” Struckhoff said. Craig Weinaug, vice president of the Lawrence Bicycle Club, said he had crossed Kansas three times on his bicycle and that – based on this experience – Lawrence compared favorably to any town of its size.

Besides reconstruction of existing and installation of new facilities, the city and the advisory board also want to encourage people to use their bikes to preserve the quality of life in Lawrence. Air pollution is one concern among others, said Struckhoff: “Riding a bike saves money and space. Adding a car, however, means adding parking space and consuming gasoline,” Struckhoff said. Many people could simply not imagine taking a bike to work. “Often times, it is not a failure of the system but a failure of imagination.” To many cars drove around with just one person in them, Struckhoff said. “If you build a parking lot or a highway, people will use it. If you build a bike lane instead, people will use the bike lane.” Craig Weinaug, who is with the Lawrence Bicycle Club, sees things slightly differently. “What motivates people is not a message, it’s the gas price.”

As far as safety is concerned, Sonja Kaechele from Germany hopes to see an awareness program for drivers. So does Jose Aleman Banon, a graduate student from S pain. He often clashes with car drivers in troublesome ways. “Young people are often rude to bikers. More than six times, I have encountered the following situation: I am riding my bike, and the navigator in the car next to me leans his head out of the window to scream at me and make his friends laugh,” Aleman Banon said. “That is extremely dangerous, because you get totally startled, and may lose control of the handle bars, fall and cause a serious accident.” Furthermore, Aleman Banon is concerned with the condition and the number of street lights. “The street lighting system in Lawrence is embarrasing,” he said.

Eventually, it seems that a lot of work lies ahead for both the city commission and the bicycle advisory board. One immediate measure that Struckhoff suggests is the reintroduction of a bicycle adviser to the city commission: “The city used to have a paid staff position. We continuously emphasize the reestablishment of such a position.”

For now, Sonja Kaechele from Germany and Jose Aleman Banon from Spain take sidewalks instead of driving on the road, especially on the weekends, accepting potholes and sidewalks that end abruptly.
What could make them feel better: Lawrence is among the 58 bike-friendliest communities in the country. In 2004 the League of American Cyclists recognized Lawrence with its “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation. Despite all that needs to be done, Craig Weinaug, vice president of the Lawrence Bicycle Club, knows why Lawrence was awarded the prize: “I think that Lawrence is simply a great place to ride a bike.”

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Tom Bracciano, division director of operations and facilities planning, has been serving as the chairman of the boundary committee since 1993. He can understand why parents on the east side of town feel left behind when comparing the situation of their elementary schools with the schools on the west side.

“We have more schools than we need now,” Bracciano said. “We could have closed more.”

New York elementary school, on the east side, is one of Lawrence’s poorest elementary schools. Teachers at New York know that the school’s fate depends on the number of enrolled children and on the boundary committee’s future decisions. Minority parents don’t want their children to suffer from a poor education because of where they live. To better students’ education, New York elementary school has developed special programs to prepare poor students to live among middle-class people.

Lawrence Public Schools works independently from the city of Lawrence. City Hall has little power to influence its decision. Rick Gammill, director of special operations, safety and transportation, says that the school district meets quarterly with the city commission especially to discuss growth issues. Gammill says that the Board of Education, the county and the city discuss topics that affect all three entities.

If parents have a complaint or want their children to attend a school out of their area, they go to the school district. The school district handles boundary issues case by case. The school district is in charge of providing transportation for students. This also is based on a case by case analysis. Gammill said that last year, the Board of Education asked the boundary committee to focus on elementary schools. After eight months of study, the committee changed the boundary between Quail Run and Deerfield elementary schools on the north-west side of Lawrence. The committee changed the boundary because one school was losing children while the other school was gaining them.

Parents in east Lawrence fear that the committee might change a boundary making one school area out of two. Parents are willing to talk about the issue but wish to have their names kept secret. They say that Lawrence is a small town in a conservative state and “you never know what might happen.”

Parents say that if the Board of Education has to close a school, it would choose one on the east side. Minority parents know that their children are not born less intelligent than white Americans but feel they are treated as if they are. They say east Lawrence is dying and the school district won’t do anything about it because it is a poor area. Gammill disagrees, saying that Prairie Park, on the east side, is one of Lawrence’s newest schools.

Bracciano says that the committee has closed schools in east Lawrence, but not due to social status or race. “The east side has become a very popular place to live for students and families with no kids,” Bracciano said. “That’s why we had to close some schools.” Bracciano says that when the committee changes a boundary, most of the time people concerned get angry. “It’s always an emotional process to change boundaries,” Bracciano said.

Bracciano says that you have to look at the problem from a realistic perspective. “Parents say we are killing their neighborhood when we close a school. I tell them that it is the opposite; schools close because people leave the neighborhood,” Bracciano said.

The 2005/06 Lawrence public schools enrollment report says that “people have many choices available to them that directly impact enrollment trends. People may be terminated from their place of employment or relocate to another locality.” The report says: “If household sizes are decreasing, there may be the opportunity to reconfigure boundaries and eliminate the need for utilizing mobile classrooms.”

When teachers don’t match up with the children anymore, it raises funding issues to pay the teachers. Bracciano said that a school needed to have more than 350 students to employ a full-time librarian and nurse. A school also needs more than 400 students to function and be viable. Unfortunately, Bracciano said there has been a decline in the overall student count for the last five years.

New York elementary school currently has 152 students. Most of the children attending New York come from minority and low-income families. New York receives the same amount of money from the school district as any other elementary school in Lawrence. Because of the background of its students, the school also receives money from special federal programs such as Title One and Reading First.

New York principal Nancy DeGarmo takes pride in talking about the school and students’ academic achievements. Last year, New York did better than the district average in the state assessment. DeGarmo said the school couldn’t afford to spend time having students cut out decorations for the classrooms because it constantly has to focus on students’ special needs or more important activities.

“New York doesn’t provide fancy stuff,” DeGarmo says. “New York provides education.” This is exactly what parents and committee members strive for: a good level of education for children of all races and social classes. This might be an easier goal for a school in a rich area, but New York has its own way to keep children focused on education. “We work really hard to accommodate parents’ schedules,” DeGarmo says.

The school is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Boys and Girls Club participates in the before and after school programs. DeGarmo wants to make sure that art, music and physical education are not left out of the children’s schedule. Students from the University of Kansas come in to talk about a particular topic they study. Children get the chance to do anything school-related with the staff that other children do at home with their parents.

DeGarmo says there is a huge gap between social classes in the United States. Children from poor families struggle when among students from the middle class. DeGarmo says that this is especially true in High School. Poor children are excluded from the school spirit unless they are outstanding athletes. She says that one of the main goals of New York is to teach its students those hidden rules that will help them make the transition from their world into the middle-class world and make them successful through their academic career.

Doctor Ruby Payne, an expert on the mindsets of economic classes and on crossing socio-economic lines, wrote in “A framework for understanding poverty” that “students need to be taught the hidden rules of middle class, not in denigration of their own but rather as another set of rules than can be used if they so choose.”

Payne stresses the importance of role models for children. “Educators have tremendous opportunities to influence some of the non-financial resources that make such a difference in student’s lives,” she said. “It costs nothing to be an appropriate role model.” This is what DeGarmo, teachers and staff provide with after-school programs. This helps achieve the school boundary committee and parents’ goal of a good education for every child in Lawrence.

DeGarmo says equality doesn’t mean equitability. Giving people the same thing doesn’t mean giving them what they need. As former congressman Michael Harrington said: “Life is lived in common, but not in community.” This is an easy way to understand minority parents’ frustration when discussing boundary issues. The committee’s job is to keep up with demographic changes and reorganize the school areas accordingly. These changes remind DeGarmo that her school must constantly look for new ways to keep New York a viable school.

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“(In years past) they used a pencil, now they can use a pen,” said Douglas County Deputy of Elections Keith Campbell. “That’s probably the only major difference.”

In accordance with the Help America Vote Act, Douglas County will be using new electronic voting machines that will allow voters to verify that they cast their votes as they intended, and a second chance to correct those votes if they made a mistake. The county is also outfitted with new equipment that enables disabled citizens to cast their votes without assistance, and allows election officials to tabulate and report the results of the elections much more quickly than before.

Campbell said the actual voting process changes very little. The voter will still fill out a paper ballot with a pencil or a pen. When they have completed their ballot, they will insert it into a scanner which reads the ballot to ensure that each vote was accurately recorded. If the ballot is marked incorrectly, the machine will notify the voter, who will then have the opportunity to cast the ballot as is or to discard the mis-marked ballot and fill out another one.

“It gives voters a chance to know that once they’re at the polling place, if there’s something wrong with their ballots, they have a chance to fix that,” said Campbell. “In prior elections, mis-marked ballots came to the courthouse to be counted, so the voter wasn’t there to fix their votes.”

The county is also using new AutoMark machines, which Campbell said helps the visually impaired and physically disabled vote without the assistance of another person, an important stipulation of the Help America Vote Act. The AutoMark is equipped with an easy-to-use touchscreen and headphones for visually impaired voters. The ballot is inserted into the AutoMark machine, which then marks the choices for the voter. When the individual is finished voting, the AutoMark provides a neatly marked ballot which is then inserted into the scanner like all other ballots.

The voting machines tabulate the votes as they are entered, and are capable of providing vote counts throughout the process. At the end of voting, the workers load up the ballots and remove a data card from the machine that contains the final vote counts. The machine also produces a printout that lists the number of ballots counted. The ballots and data cards are taken back to the courthouse where the final votes are calculated after double-checking the totals of the number of ballots collected and the number of votes recorded on the printout.

In the past, the individual ballots were counted in the courthouse, which was often a very lengthy process.

“Anyone who was here prior to this last primary is accustomed to results not being available until 3:00 in the morning at the earliest,” said Campbell. “We were done at about 9:30 p.m. (after the primaries in August). It really speeds up the process quite a bit.”

After the final vote tallies are calculated and released, the paper ballots are safely stored in tamper-proof bags for twenty-four months. In the event of a recount, the paper ballots will be available for a verifiable physical tally.

Campbell said that the primaries went “pretty smoothly”, and now that the election workers have gained experience from the primary elections, he expects the midterm elections to proceed with minimal problems.

“We’ve been training the poll workers on how to use these new machines, and that has been an important issue for our office,” said Campbell. “Overall we’re excited about Nov. 7. We think it will go really well.”

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