Electronic Voting: Voters will like touch screens, but it's a leap of fait

[Twist_U_Up]

They are bold enough to recognize election fraud and rub our nose in it


http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3020972

Now that Utah voters have been placed in the tender care of Diebold Election Systems, they all should say a prayer.
Not because they should believe the theory floating around the Internet that the company is some sort of Christian fundamentalist conspiracy to throw elections to the Republicans. But there are some unresolved problems with the paper trail that the touch-screen voting machines are required by law to provide.
California has reported difficulties with paper jams and screen freezes, and veteran election officials say that if the paper trail had to serve as the basis for a recount, it would be hard to read and might not meet the legal definition of a ballot.
Diebold still does not have a machine available that could recount the votes from the paper trail, according to Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen.
That is why Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert's decision to select Diebold as the provider of touch-screen voting machines statewide was a leap of faith. If that faith turns out to be misplaced, he can kiss his political career goodbye.
If the touch-screen machines work properly, however, voters probably will like them. As with any technological change, though, there's a break-in period where people will have to overcome their innate fear of the unknown. If you've ever changed computer systems at home or in the office, you know all about this. Remember the first time you went to an ATM?
The good thing about the machines is that they are extremely simple to use.
Their advantage over conventional forms of voting, including paper ballots and punch cards, is that they warn a voter when she or he has made a mistake, such as voting for two candidates in a race where only one is appropriate (overvoting) or when a race is skipped (undervoting). It also allows visually impaired voters to cast ballots independently and privately using auditory prompts.
Unlike an optical scan system, in which the voter fills in little circles on a paper ballot with a special pen, the touch-screen system is less liable to voter error.
In Salt Lake County, polling places will have touch-screens; an optical scan system will be used for absentee and provisional ballots. Touch-screen systems can store multiple ballots in several languages, which could make possible early voting at satellite polling stations that could serve voters from any precinct.
It's a brave new world.

[PATRICK]

1. Brave New World

should have been capped. Writer should have done his research. it is the weakness of this type of wisdom that is letting the salesmen and thieves in the front door.

The ownership of the companies, their words and their performance is publicly available. Why is the truth relegated to a "theory on the internet"? Because it takes a leap of faith to realize you won't get responsible reporting or investigation anywhere else?

People who don't quite get it and are willing to swallow an unknown liquid will get it completely.

Not voting is vote against your right to vote. No accountability means you don't count. Lazy thinking means HARD TIMES.

One hand applause for a skpetic going halfway to nowhere.

[Twist_U_Up]

2. Bizarro world

"If the touch-screen machines work properly, however, voters probably will like them."

They may not like the results though.

We do live in a very uneducated world.

[Bill Bored]

3. It's a RED state alright.

Although Salt Lk. City is a bit more reasonable.

This guy thinks DREs are less likely to cause voter error than paper ballots? He knows nothing. Utah residents should write back and tell him to get his facts straight and stop listening to Diebold's shills.

BTW, has anyone considered the possibility that Diebold made those paper trail tests in CA fail deliberately? It's not my state, but it might be worth it to start a new thread about that.