COLUMBUS — Poll workers, new voters and any Ohio voter who must use a punch-card ballot are being targeted by a new voter education program announced Wednesday.

        The goal of the program, created by Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, is to prevent the type of confusion that happened in Florida during last year's presidential vote.

        Mr. Blackwell, the state's chief elections officer, is targeting first-time voters and voters who use the punch-card ballot to cast their votes. Sixty-nine of Ohio's 88 counties use punch-card ballots.

        His office has spent $108,000 to produce two seven-minute instructional videos on using punch-card ballots and optical-scan ballots.

        He's also produced four 30-second public service announcements for TV and radio stations that encourage people to vote and ask for help if they need it.

        “In the democratic conversation in this country, a voter's vote is his or her voice,” Mr. Blackwell said. “We believe that no one's vote or voice in this democratic conversation should be wrongly nullified.”

        The problems that arose in the recount of Florida votes last year happened mainly with first-time voters and punch-card ballots, Mr. Blackwell said.

        The outcome of the presidential election was delayed for more than a month while Florida officials wrestled with poor standards on what constitutes a vote, how to handle a recount and legal battling between the campaigns of Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush.

        Mr. Bush won Florida, and thus the White House, by 537 votes after a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision that halted the state's recount.

        On Monday, the Washington, D.C.-based Election Reform Information Project released a report that said the nation's voting system remains almost unchanged since the contested election.

        The report found that while there is no lack of commitment or will to make voting reforms, there is a lack of consensus about what should be done.

        Earlier this month, a panel studying Ohio elections put off issuing a final report after a split widened between members who want do away with punch-card ballots and those who want to keep them.

        The Elections System Study Committee has been meeting since summer to find ways to make voting more accurate and reliable. The panel was created by legislation passed shortly after the November 2000 election.

        Mr. Blackwell, a Republican and chairman of the committee, said his draft of a final report requires county elections boards to ensure that voters who want to change their vote on a ballot be allowed to do so before tabulation.

        Although the report doesn't recommend a ban on punch cards, Mr. Blackwell said he would like to get rid of them.

        Sen. Jeff Jacobson, of Brookville, one of two Republican senators on the 11-member committee, said he prefers to keep punch-card ballots.

Feds recommend police revisions
Overhaul of force rules urged
Local cops say report not a surprise
Director of OMI fired by Shirey
Highlights of the Department of Justice report
Stories presaged aspects of feds' report
Choke hold not ruled out
For trial spectators, Nov. 7 frozen in time
Jurors to visit Owensby scene
County passes loan plan
Fuller bankruptcy erased $39K debt
Gift promotes women studying engineering
Grant to expand study of health risks to children
'Moms' send goodies to soldiers
Storm ushers in early cold snap
Tristate A.M. Report
UC plans dinner to honor 4 criminal court creators
Woman will be first promoted to assistant chief
HOWARD: Massage therapy for N.Y.
PULFER: Suzie Thompson
73 Super Stop to refund for gas gouging
Candidates partake in forum
Candidates respond to scenarios
Challengers: Lebanon council prickly, unresponsive
Election rekindles fire issue
Lebanon balks at three-way land swap
Museum brings learning to kids
NATO a player in Afghan war
Seminar directed toward black men
Sierra Club study rejects new highway
Trustee race about building
Blackwell begins how-to-vote education program
Florence closer to baseball team
Kenton OKs security measures, ponders more
Kentucky News Briefs
Newport restricts parking
Ryle band 4th in state
Slain man's aunt seeks answers