The 2008 election is almost over and I'm sure it's none too soon for everyone. As a technology person there is an election issue that I would like to make you aware of. Since the 2000 election fiasco there has been a push in this country to move to Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). These are basically computers where voters push buttons on the screen and their choices are recorded in the software and then passed on to election officials. Sounds innocent enough since as a country we are all getting more familiar with computers.
I am no stranger to electronics. In my household are 5 computers, PC and Mac, iPods, cell phones, PDA, GPS, HDTV, TiVo, digital still and movie cameras, Bluetooth devices, etc., so when I tell you that Electronic Voting Machines make me pause it is not simply because it is an electronic device. I am very comfortable with using all forms of electronic devices. EVMs make me think twice because I know that human beings are the ones who write the software code that goes into computers. There is simply no way to know for sure that the results that come out of these machines is the vote that went into them. The way I see it, voting on an EVM is akin to handing over my paper ballot to someone else and asking them to deliver it to the election office for me. How do I know that my vote will get to the election office as I cast it or even get there at all? There is way too much opportunity for tampering in the election process using EVMs.
Paper receipts would seem to be the logical solution. Why not have each Electronic Voting Machine produce a paper receipt that could then be verified by the voter, dropped in a box at the polling place and used for close election recounts or random audits? The companies that make EVMs will tell you that they are manufactured under strict conditions, that the software is tested thoroughly and that vote tallies can be verified. These are some of the same companies that make ATM machines so if they have nothing to hide then let them produce the same kind of paper receipt that ATMs produce. These companies will tell you that it is too expensive or not practical to have EVMs produce a paper receipt. I say our democracy is worth the expense.
Around the country people are seeing problems with Electronic Voting Machines. Below are some links to movies, TV and radio shows that depict their stories. See for yourself what problems others are finding with these machines and what they are doing about it. Personally I think the entire country should vote by mail-in paper ballot, as available in Colorado, thus eliminating long lines and problems at polling places. At the very least, if EVMs are to be used, we should all demand from our elections officials that these machines produce a paper receipt.
It is our responsibility to preserve our democracy. Remember to vote, be vigilant in the voting booth and in the election process and ask others to do the same!. If you have concerns about using an Electronic Voting Machine at your polling place, ask if you can use a paper ballot instead. If you can not then pay extra close attention to what is happening on the screen as you touch it and alert an election official immediately if you notice any problems or discrepancies.
