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Ballot counting proceeds slowly By Dani Dodge A sense of calm, steadfast determination settled over the Jackson County Elections Office on Wednesday. Twelve seniors sat on folding chairs at card tables opening ballots, stamping over choices made in pen on some, and hand-duplicating others too torn or pockmarked to go through the computers. In other rooms, election workers continued to feed ballots into cranky machines that seemed to reject more than they counted. Across the state The Secretary of State�s office reports that as of 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, the following counties still had the following numbers of ballots to count: Clackamas: 100 Clatsop: 45 Coos: 9 Curry: 17 Deschutes: 3 Jackson: 4,800 Klamath: 83 Lane: 25 Malheur: 13 Multnomah 4,000 Wasco: 45 Washington: 200 Boxes of empty soda cans were stashed under desks. Flower bouquets and a half-plundered fruit basket � sent by people to encourage the besieged workers � sat on top. Nine days after the election, the clerk�s office still has about 4,800 ballots left to count. That�s more than any other county in the state. Only Multnomah County � one with more than three times the registered voters of Jackson County � is dealing with anything near the magnitude of Jackson County�s uncounted ballot bounty. "It will be lucky if we finish by Friday," said Donna Connor, the elections supervisor. "There is a lot of enhancing to do. ... Optical scan is turning out to be more finicky than punch cards, but it�s easier for the voter." Although Jackson County completed its final unofficial ballot count on Friday, there were still some 5,000 ballots left to process. Most left to count are ballots elections workers wryly refer to as "problem children." Those are the ballots that during the first count were spit out by machines like peas from a 2-year-old. The computers can�t read pen marks, yet many voters filled theirs out in ink, some even in green and gold tones. Other ballots had dimples where people filled them out on a soft surface. Still others had the slightest smudge of an erased answer still barely visible. The computers also spurned a number of ballots for their own mysterious reasons. "Maybe they just have a crease or something," Connor explained as the computer rejected a series of perfectly good-looking ballots. Another batch of uncounted ballots are those whose signatures hadn�t been verified. The county got a huge number of late registration updates and needed time after the initial counting to enter those signatures in the computer. On Wednesday, the county finished checking all the signatures, so now the counting should go more quickly, Connor said. As she opened ballots, Betty Bayliss, a retired Medford woman, said she�s been working elections for 22 years. "This is the most difficult," she admitted. "I think it�s because it�s a double ballot and people just aren�t using pencil." But she continues because she considers it an important civic duty. She loves the fellowship and believes that County Clerk Kathy Beckett is one of the most conscientious and dedicated human beings she�s ever known. "It just satisfies something in me," Bayliss said. "I feel like I�m contributing." The workers make minimum wage, and it doesn�t hurt to have a few extra bucks just before Christmas, they said. Bayliss, a Republican, sits beside and across from Democrats. They each check each other�s work and ask Connor questions when there is a difference of opinion on the voters� intent. And questions do arise. "Pretty soon you don�t know if you are looking at smudges or bugs," joked Bill Yates, a Republican who sat catty-corner from Bayliss at the table. The election workers seemed determined to stick out this election to the bitter end. One even joked she�d bring her turkey there if necessary. Connor suggested that the entire election experience is similar to putting on a performance or play. A strong camaraderie develops over the late nights and long days. "Group dynamics takes over," Connor said. "There�s horrible hours, but everyone pulls together to make it work." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.