Extended voting hours a must among changes that would help

If people don't vote or can't vote, democracy doesn't work.

If votes aren't counted fairly and accurately, or even if voters believe they aren't, the system will fail.

It took a national crisis in the 2000 presidential election to jump-start discussion about improving elections and to take action. Millions of dollars and six years later, serious problems continue to occur. In Florida last month, more than 18,000 ballots did not register a vote for either candidate in one congressional district. Many Kentuckians had long waits to vote, and some counties couldn't get accurate vote counts for hours.

There are at least two problems. There's no consensus on what needs to be done to make elections work better, and it's not clear where the money would come from for any cure that is chosen.

The debate is good; the penny-pinching isn't.

Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson advocates two fixes: allowing voting up to a month before an election without requiring voters to swear they'll be out of town on election day; and letting voters see their choices printed on paper before they register votes electronically.

Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins thinks the $1,000-per-machine cost of adding printers is a waste of money that would be better spent on new machines for all precincts and for training election officials.

A couple of important details reinforce Blevins' argument. First, voters wouldn't get to take a hard copy of their vote with them; they would just be seeing a printed version of the information that's on the screen. Second, all of the newest electronic voting machines have separate memories that allow election officials to create a printed record for audits or recounts.

Some critics say the only way to verify an electronic count is to have a separate paper record. That's the way it's done in Jefferson County, where voters enter their choices on paper ballots that are scanned to register and count the vote, creating independent documents to compare to the electronic record for audits or recounts.

Throwing money at printers probably won't ensure votes are counted accurately. That problem needs unbiased research and thoughtful discussion, the sooner the better.

A less controversial subject is how to make it easier for people to vote.

Voters should not have to lie to vote in advance. Kentucky must allow absentee voting without requiring an excuse, as most other states now do. Election officials and legislators might also explore letting people vote at a few locations -- not every precinct -- beginning the Friday or Saturday before election day.

Kentucky doesn't need to maintain its place as one of the few states with an early end to voting. A 6 p.m. close might have worked in a different era, but it doesn't now, when people work, shuttle kids among activities and run errands almost around the clock.

This is mostly about money.

The state gives county officials $300 per precinct to cover election costs that run about four times that, Blevins said. The federal government contributes nothing to operating costs. In Fayette County, election workers earn $100 for a day that runs 14 hours or longer. Any raise would compete for county dollars against roads, fire, police and other services.

Usually, when people talk about the cost of democracy, it's measured in lives. Legislators should remember that when they're asked to appropriate simple dollars to improve the way we vote.