While 35 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, including Centre County, use manual voting machines, electronic voting methods may be implemented in the future.

Pennsylvania Department of State spokesman Brian McDonald said punch cards and lever voting machines are in the process of being phased out and will be gone by 2006.

"Based on the guidelines of the Help America Vote Act [HAVA] and our interpretation of it, we don't feel that these systems comply," he said.

McDonald said it was hard to say with certainty that electronic voting methods would become more widespread across the state.

"We're going to have to interact with several parties and determine which methods comply," McDonald said. "We would make the list available to all the precincts so they could choose their own method."

Congress passed HAVA in 2002 to help prevent difficulties like the ones that plagued the 2000 election.

The act seeks to encourage states to abandon old-fashioned voting in favor of using more technologically advanced methods.

Counting all votes properly is a priority for the state, said Abe Amoros, spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell.

"Governor Rendell has made it clear to all of his election officials throughout Pennsylvania that he wants to see a flawless election in results," Amoros said.

However, electronic systems may not be the answer in all areas, he added.

"Each individual county has its strengths and they basically have told the state what has worked for them and what hasn't worked for them," Amoros said. "We are listening to them and working with the counties."

Centre County Office of Elections and Voter Registration director Joyce McKinley said punch cards have been used in Centre County since the late 1980s and have worked well.

"Electronic methods would be put into effect in 2006 pending approval of the commonwealth and considering HAVA," she said.

To combat the difficulties faced in the 2000 election, several states have taken bold action by using HAVA as a guide and are trying to institute new methods of casting votes, such as electronic touch-screen voting.

Nevada recently spent $9.3 million on a new touch-screen voting system that was unique in that it left a paper trail allowing voters to double check their ballots.

A paper trail is considered ideal, but there are currently no laws that require states to have them. Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee and Florida all rely on paperless electronic voting.

Nevada, like Pennsylvania, had relied on old-fashioned voting techniques in seven of its 17 counties in the last election. Now, 16 of its counties will have printers accompanying the computers.

In addition to punch cards and lever systems, McDonald also said several counties in Pennsylvania use optical scan voting systems in which individuals choose their candidate by filling in an oval on the ballot.

While other states have seen drastic changes with voting system between 2000 and 2004, Pennsylvania has seen minimal modifications.

Centre County Office of Elections and Voter Registration supervisor Wanda Hockenberry said there has been only one change in the area.

"First-time voters in the precinct must show a form of identification before they cast their ballots," Hockenberry said. "And this is for security reasons and that you are or you say you are."

-- Collegian staff writer Hannah Aboul-Hosn contributed to this report.