NY Times Calls for Paper Receipts with Voting Machines (thanks Krugman)

[La_Serpiente]

A Paper Trail for Voters

Ever since the voting trauma in Florida three years ago, election officials have been trying to find a better way to cast and count ballots. As progress is beginning to be made, it is critical that the new strategies do not create as many problems as they solve.

With the help of $3.9 billion in federal funds set aside to improve elections, states have begun the move to electronic voting machines. The new A.T.M.-style machines are easier for most people to use and undeniably faster. But recent glitches in Virginia and Florida have revived questions about how to recount a computerized vote after a close or suspicious election. New machines can already print a total of all votes cast, but that is simply a reflection of the computerized tally. What is needed is a paper record of each voter's choices that the voter can verify.

The most reasonable answer is to require that the machines be equipped with printers that will produce what Representative Rush Holt, Democrat of New Jersey, calls a "parallel paper record" of the vote. That makes sense to us. Like deeds, diplomas and other vital public documents, the nation's votes still need to be preserved somewhere on paper.

more...

A Paper Trail for Voters

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

1. Kick N/T

:kick:

[BeFree]

2. NYTimes is only halfway there....

We need Paper BALLOTS. NOT Receipts.

The Vote needs to be counted from a Paper Ballot. So what if it takes another few hours to count the Vote? This Rush to Count is what is a miserable failure. Relying on a machine that has potential to be corrupted is WRONG. Someone at NYTimes need to read Bev's book!

Well, we are at least half way there......

[RedEagle]

3. Back Up

The Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution, it's getting traction....

Kick!

[Myra]

4. Bev, you're amazing. Thank you for getting us this far.

We're part of the way there, much yet to be done.

[RichardRay]

5. How about both?

Use the machine to vote and print a two copies of a ballot with your choices marked on it. Drop one of them in the ballot box on your way out the door. Two levels of challenge then exist - recount the electronic tally or do a manual count of the paper ballots. Maybe require a paper count if the margin is less than xx%?

Seems like the best of both worlds?

[Eric J in MN]

6. please call a Senator or Congressman today

Based on verifiedvoting.org

These people are on the House commitee which could advance The Voter Confidence Act, HR 2239, or the Senate commitee which could introduce a companion bill.

Please call one of these people. For the phone number, type the last name on the left at:

http://www.vote-smart.org
and click Go.


Information on the bill is at:
http://holt.house.gov/issues2.cfm?id=5996



Committee on House Administration

Republican Committee Members
Rep. Robert W. Ney, Chairman (OH)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (CA)
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (MI)
Rep. John Linder (GA)
Rep. John L. Mica (FL)
Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (NY)

Democratic Committee Members
Rep. John B. Larson, Ranking Member (CT)
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA)
Rep. Robert Brady (PA)

Senate Rules and Administration Committee

Republican Committee Members
Trent Lott, Chairman (MS)
Ted Stevens (AK)
Mitch McConnell (KY)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Don Nickles (OK)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Bill Frist (TN)
Gordon Smith (OR)
C. Saxby Chambliss (GA)

Democratic Committee Members
Chris Dodd, Ranking Member (CT)
Robert C. Byrd (WV)
Daniel K. Inouye (HI)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Charles E. Schumer (NY)
Tom Daschle (SD)
Mark Dayton (MN)