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Not to Make You Paranoid or Anything
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Monday, October 30, 2006
4:49:00 PM EST
Hearing Nothing at the moment
This Time magazine article looks at whether electronic ballot machines can be trusted. in the article, it brings up an important point:
Perhaps the biggest fallacy in this debate is the notion that elections were perfect before Congress decided to hold them on computers. They weren't. "Stuffing the ballot box" is not an expression from the world of fiction. The problem with overvoting punch cards existed for decades before the dateline PALM BEACH COUNTY became a household term. Peoria County clerk JoAnn Thomas says she routinely tossed out several hundred twice-punched ballots every year. That represents roughly 1% of all registered voters in her jurisdiction.
The 2000 election reminded Americans that every vote makes a difference, and scrutiny of polling practices intensified. So just as America has moved to a process of electronic voting and tabulation intended to make voting more accessible, reliable and secure, trust in the system has actually gone down. Says David Orr, clerk of Illinois' Cook County: "We used to have a problem with giving people the wrong ballots. And if we were lucky, we'd catch it before they voted. Now, if the same thing happens with a touch screen, it's a conspiracy."
Conspiracy!
For me the issue is not just whether they can be trusted, in the sense of can they be hacked into and have the votes changed, but can they be trusted, as in, will they be glitchy? This article in the Miami Herald, about glitchy electronic voting machines, does not inspire huge loads of confidence.
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4:49:00 PM EST
Hearing Nothing at the moment
Not to Make You Paranoid or Anything
This Time magazine article looks at whether electronic ballot machines can be trusted. in the article, it brings up an important point:
Perhaps the biggest fallacy in this debate is the notion that elections were perfect before Congress decided to hold them on computers. They weren't. "Stuffing the ballot box" is not an expression from the world of fiction. The problem with overvoting punch cards existed for decades before the dateline PALM BEACH COUNTY became a household term. Peoria County clerk JoAnn Thomas says she routinely tossed out several hundred twice-punched ballots every year. That represents roughly 1% of all registered voters in her jurisdiction.
The 2000 election reminded Americans that every vote makes a difference, and scrutiny of polling practices intensified. So just as America has moved to a process of electronic voting and tabulation intended to make voting more accessible, reliable and secure, trust in the system has actually gone down. Says David Orr, clerk of Illinois' Cook County: "We used to have a problem with giving people the wrong ballots. And if we were lucky, we'd catch it before they voted. Now, if the same thing happens with a touch screen, it's a conspiracy."
Conspiracy!
For me the issue is not just whether they can be trusted, in the sense of can they be hacked into and have the votes changed, but can they be trusted, as in, will they be glitchy? This article in the Miami Herald, about glitchy electronic voting machines, does not inspire huge loads of confidence.
Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
10/31/06 11:48 AM