Piece Description

Many states now use electronic voting - just touching a computer screen casts a vote. I'm wary, though, that this new technology may simply sweep any problems we've had into an electronic void without solving them. State officials are turning toward electronic voting. They hype electronic voting emphasizing how it can help voters: For example, voters often invalidate their punch card ballots by choosing too many candidates, an electronic system can alert a voter about an improper ballot. In spite of many advantages, I'm leery of electronic voting. I've written many computer programs in my life and have learned that no software is foolproof. And I worry about security: Recently someone stole the Diebold company's voting machine software, displaying it on a web site, giving hackers a blueprint for attacking the machines. The key to reliable electronic voting is old-fashioned: It's paper. The machine should record the vote electronically, but also spit out a small card with the vote printed on it. A card that can be recounted if necessary. While it seems a simple solution, many voting machine companies oppose it. It's too complicated, expensive and complex they say, arguing that it's inefficient.