Senator backs voting machine bill after firsthand experience with glitch

[Khephra]

Sen. Barbara Mikulski added her name Monday to a bill that would require electronic voting machines to produce a paper record of ballots, just one day after a machine she tested at a local festival produced an erroneous result.

The Maryland Democrat signed on as a co-sponsor to legislation filed by Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, Mikulski aide Michael Morrill said. Graham's bill was introduced in April in response to fears that electronic voting machines used nationwide are subject to human error, could fail or be tampered with.

Mikulski got a firsthand look at possible voting mistakes when she tried out an AccuVote TS touch screen machine Sunday at a folk festival in Takoma Park.

Maryland was one of the first states in the country to implement touch-screen voting, spending $55 million on the program. Elections officials said there were few problems with the machines during the March primary.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/09/13/politics1858EDT0674.DTL

[noamnety]

1. always has the option to change their vote?

"A spokesman for Ohio-based Diebold Election Systems, which makes the AccuVote machine, said it provides ample opportunity for voters to change their votes and gives clear instructions on how to do so. David Bear also said voters see a summary screen at the end of their voting session, detailing each vote they cast.

"The voter always has the option to change their vote," he said."


Yeah, that's crap. I posted a while back on a nonpolitical forum about my mom being bullied by election officials into pushing the finished button after he kindly bypassed part of her ballot while "prepping" the machine for her. I know someone picked it up and posted that on BBV at one point.

My mom held her ground and eventually figured it out, while the official was screaming at her that once she got to the summary, she was done and had to press finish. Voter intimidation is part of the touch screen system.

[phantom power]

2. This is good, but it depresses me that

people have to actually experience the failure to take it seriously. It seems like such an easy issue to understand, but even this Senator apparently couldn't take it seriously until it bit her right on the ass.

(edit) and this story doesn't even address the whole universe of possibilities for *intentional* fraud. People clearly aren't really getting it yet, although it's a start.

[REVOLT823]

3. Why did she wait until she saw an error ona demonstration,

what is the big deal about people getting apaper ballot after they vote. I don't understand why there is so much resistance to this.

[shraby]

4. It's harder to steal the votes

with a paper ballot printed out, but our glorious representatives in congress remind me of abu ghraib with paper bags over their heads.

[REVOLT823]

5. Exactly, why isn't physical verification (receipt)

required, this makes no sense whatsoever. Its liks a bank asking you to conduct your banking without receipts. Unbelievable!!

[DeepModem Mom]

6. kick