Changes Are Expected in Voting by 2008 Election

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/08/washington/08voting.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Changes Are Expected in Voting by 2008 Election

By the 2008 presidential election, voters around the country are likely to see sweeping changes in how they cast their ballots and how those ballots are counted, including an end to the use of most electronic voting machines without a paper trail, federal voting officials and legislators say.

New federal guidelines, along with legislation given a strong chance to pass in Congress next year, will probably combine to make the paperless voting machines obsolete, the officials say. States and counties that bought the machines will have to modify them to hook up printers, at federal expense, while others are planning to scrap the machines and buy new ones.

Motivated in part by voting problems during the midterm elections last month, the changes are a result of a growing skepticism among local and state election officials, federal legislators and the scientific community about the reliability and security of the paperless touch-screen machines used by about 30 percent of American voters.

The changes also mean that the various forms of vote-counting software used around the country — most of which are protected by their manufacturers for reasons of trade secrecy — will for the first time be inspected by federal authorities, and the code could be made public. There will also be greater federal oversight on how new machines are tested before they arrive at polling stations.

[marmar]

1. Tres bien....

Personally, I'd like to see the electronic voting machines smashed - period, but I'd be somewhat happy with the paper trail.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. 1. Get rid of the god damn stupid machines

They are overpriced worthless hunks of plastic and electrons. Hand counts are more accurate and a lot cheaper at this point.

[Zorra]

8. Exactly. Paper ballots don't crash.

Using electronic voting machines makes about as much sense as putting square concrete wheels on a car.

[terip64]

3. I think I might start sleeping through the night! n/t

[TlalocW]

4. I hope the Bush buddy that's runs Diebold

Is desperately searching for a powerful antacid right now.

TlalocW

[Eurobabe]

5. 8 fucking years too late...

[FogerRox]

6. DREs are

[sutz12]

7. Yay!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Duer 157099]

9. Better late than never

it's only cost some trillion dollars and the destruction of our republic, but hey, we're resilient

[AtomicKitten]

10. That should be #1 on the Dems' to-do list.

Cleaning up the election process simply cannot wait.