Interesting: California requires electronic voting machines to make receipts. However, on balance I am becoming increasingly convinced that touch screens really aren’t that good an idea, and that scantron-type ballots are the best way to go: there is a paper ballot that can be recounted if necessary, and they can have ballot boxes which scan for obvious errors when the ballot is deposited (like double-voting).
The reported problems with the Diebold machines are troubling (to say the least) and the whole move to totally computerized voting seems to be a classic example of over-reaction to a problem, as well as an excellent example of how we often fall in love with high-tech far too easily at times.
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There is also some political baggage with at least two of the systems as a top GOP’er was president of one firm - Walden O’Dell, CEO of Diebold Inc. Also Sen Chuck Hagel’s part-ownership of ES&S has raised a few eyebrows.
But, the technical risks are still in my mind the biggest problem. Hopefully our over-reaction as you mention will be tempered in the manner that may schools have handled computers for young children. By pulling high-tech solutions when they are not appropriate.
(this is coming from a software engineer, not a technophobe fyi)
Comment by Eric — Monday, November 24, 2024 @ 1:46 pm