RALEIGH -- Elections officials say touch-screen voting statewide is likely more than a decade away. Some counties use the electronic machines but controversy has prevented widespread use.

State and national election leaders met at N.C. State on Friday to find out if the state is ready for 2008. It's clear the state is not ready for touch-screen voting machines.

"Because of the issues surrounding the controversies of direct record voting and expense, it has not been one of those things that counties have gravitated toward," said Gary Bartlett, director of N.C. elections.

In 2004, electronic machines lost 4,500 votes in Carteret County. Twenty counties do use the touch-screen machines but 80 still do not.

"I would think technology has got to have some new ideas available and the voter has got to accept it as something that has to be used and trusted," added Bartlett.

As far as voter turnout is concerned in North Carolina, the percentages are dependent upon the election, but the amount of people voting is actually continuing to grow as more people move into the state.

"Just in the last eight years we've had an increase in just raw numbers of 1.1 million voters voting in addition to what was eight years ago," Bartlett said.

In 2006, the state used 15,000 poll workers. That number will increase by 6,000 next year with a presidential race on the ticket.

Curtis Gans, a renowned expert for more than 30 years on voter turnout, says the state should extend voting hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In the end, he doesn't believe longer hours or voter campaigns will work though. He says it will take honest candidates and time.

"It will take a long time to restore trust," said Gans, who works for the Center of American Electorate. "We're going to have to have a long period of honorable leadership and people who take trust in their office seriously."