Minnesota Launches First Post-Election Review (Kathlyn Stone)

[Tace]

(This is DU's own Katinmin)

by Kathlyn Stone -- World News Trust

Oct. 24, 2006 -- The accuracy of Minnesota’s e-voting machines will be assessed this fall thanks to a new state law that takes effect with this year’s elections. Races for federal office and the governor’s race will be reviewed to assess the accuracy of e-voting machines.

Numerous problems have been documented nationally with e-voting machines, particularly direct recording electronic (DRE) systems. While Minnesota does not use DREs, the optical scanners that Minnesota uses are subject to many of the same risks for potential programming errors as DREs.

“The post-election review offers the best way to assess the accuracy of our voting machines and help ensure an accurate vote count,” said Mark Halvorson, director and co-founder of Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota. “The optical scan voting machines used in Minnesota are considered reliable but have never been reviewed to assess their accuracy. The state legislature passed a law to assess the accuracy of the machines.”

The new review law requires a hand count of randomly selected precincts in every county. If the hand count from the review shows a difference greater than 0.5 percent compared with the machine count from election day, further hand counts are required.

more

http://www.worldnewstrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=441

[katinmn]

1. Thanks, Tace!

:)