Touch Screen Voting System Lawsuit Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state´s first countywide touch-screen voting system. The ruling clears the way for other counties to replace outdated equipment. US District Court Judge Stephen Wilson issued a decision last week validating the new technology. Nine California counties are under a federal court order to get rid of their punch-card equipment by the 2004 presidential election. Voters in March approved Proposition 41, which allows the state to replace these systems. Palm Desert resident Susan Marie Weber filed suit against Riverside County earlier this year, alleging the new system is ripe for manipulation. Judge Wilson disagreed. He praised the touch-screen machines for reducing lost votes and for improving voter access.