Scroll down the linked page a bit and you'll see the article. I want to say this looks promising, but am interested in anybody ready to shoot holes through the idea. It is the first machine CERTIFIED under the new voting law passed in 2002. Note the board of directors is Republicans and Democrats. Already we're better off!
http://ignorantusa.tripod.com/Unlike most other touch screen systems that risk losing votes, the Populex system doesn't collect and store votes electronically in the voting computer.
Instead, Populex prints an official ballot, equipped with a bar code that is scanned to reliably record and count the votes. This paper ballot is the official ballot that's counted on Election Day and also the audit trail needed for recounts. Additionally, Populex's technology helps prevent voters from making errors and provides several opportunities for them to verify their selections.
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Populex Corporation's advisory board includes both Democrats and Republicans -- including Tony Coelho, former Democratic Congressman and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of Defense and Advisor to the President for National Security Affairs during the Reagan Administration. This bi-partisan participation helps ensure that Populex focuses on protecting and increasing confidence in the democratic process without favoring or even being perceived as favoring one political party over another.
"Counting votes accurately is neither a Democratic nor a Republican ideal, it's an American ideal," said Coelho. "Frank and I are involved with Populex because we believe it provides the best option across the country to bring confidence back to our voting process."
The other problem that is extremely bothersome is that the crooked election officials are NEVER held accountable. In both 2000 and 2004 they get off scot free. Worse, they get elected to higher office rather than being prosecuted.