Utah shouldn't rush to purchase an electronic voting system, but when state officials do make the purchase they should make sure there's a provision to recount votes and make machines friendly to those with disabilities.

That was a sampling of opinions heard from concerned residents and groups regarding the state's adoption of one of the two proposed electronic voting apparatus.

In preparation for its review of two voting solution proposals, the Utah Voting Equipment Selection Committee allowed the public to comment during a hearing Thursday night at the Utah State Office Building.

No decisions were made, and Val Oveson, state chief information officer, said the committee has yet to view the proposals and is still accepting public comment. A mock election is scheduled to be held Sept. 16-17 in order to allow the public to utilize both of the proposed machines for voting purposes before a decision is made. Many in attendance cautioned the committee not to jump into any kind of agreement until all avenues are explored.

"Utah is in a good position because they haven't purchased any equipment yet," said Margaret Plane, ACLU staff attorney. She provided the committee with several guidelines to help balance the benefits and security risks involved.

Other concerns expressed were the capability of a recount and providing a voter verifiable ballot in which the voter would receive a receipt after casting a vote.

"It is imperative to have a paper trail as part of the new election process," said Tony Musci, executive director of Common Cause, a non-profit, non-partisan group working to end special interest politics. He said a paper trail will alleviate many of the security issues when processing votes internally.

"It's important that voters know (the machines) are accurate," said John Carter, associate professor of the School of Computing at the University of Utah. He said allowing voters the opportunity to check their vote would provide a back-up for the system.

Carter said the public has learned to rely on the accuracy of computers every day whether at the bank, in their cars or at the grocery store. Providing a receipt, he says, is crucial.

"It's hard to think of all the things you need to test," he said.

Carter encouraged the committee to run sufficient tests on every potential security hole and to take its time in doing so.

Fraser Nelson, executive director of the Disability Law Center, said the goal of any voting system is to provide all voters with an opportunity to vote "securely, accurately, privately and independently," as the new machines potentially promise.

"We found that what matters most is physical access to polling places," she said.

The committee is faced with either adopting one of the systems or rejecting both altogether, as state purchasing laws require. Its recommendation to the lieutenant governor will come later in the year, following elections.

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Contributing: Lynn Arave; E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com