Ohio taxpayers, your voting machines are still suspect

The Ohio secretary of state wants to know whether Ohio's voting machines work as intended, whether they accurately count the votes, and how to improve security to ensure these two things happen during elections.

Jennifer Brunner, who is newly elected to the Secretary of State office, wants to spend $1.8 million in federal grant money (read it federal tax money) to get that information, according to a report in the Columbus Dispatch today.

That such an incredible amount needs to be spent to prove the integrity of Ohio's voting system is a shame. If our election officials were honest and if our machines and software were tamper-proof and reliable in the first place, there never would have been a $1.8-million question.

But they are not because they are government devices being supervised by government politician-employees.

But Jennifer is right. Get it nailed down because Ohio's election results have been, and still are, suspect - here and throughout the nation.

The Dispatch report mentioned State Representative Jay Hottinger, member of the Ohio Controlling Board. The Board's approval for the expenditure is needed, and Jay was mentioned as among its supporters.