The almost comical picture of a Florida election official holding a ballot up to the light, looking for dimples that could discern a voter’s intent, is a lasting image of the 2000 presidential election.
Ballots that were miscast because they were supposedly too difficult for voters to figure out was another piece of the Florida debacle. And those who followed the tense recounts became intimately familiar with the terms “undervote” (not selecting a candidate in a particular race) and “overvote” (picking more than one, thereby voiding that vote).
The 2000 election served as an indictment of old-fashioned paper voting systems. That’s why we applauded when Snohomish County became the first in the state to introduce electronic voting at polling places.
Some voters, however, feel differently. They fear that the computer hard drives that record touchscreen votes could be doctored in an effort to steal votes. They argue that without a piece of paper by which a voter can verify that his vote has been cast correctly, and can be used in the event of a hand recount, the electorate can’t be certain that an election is on the up and up.
Public trust is everything when it comes to elections, so such worries must be taken seriously, whether or not election officials believe they’re well-founded. So Secretary of State Sam Reed, Washington’s top election official, did the right thing last week when he required that all electronic voting machines produce a paper verification by 2006. In the meantime, Reed is requiring that electronic machines be rigorously tested before, during and after elections to ensure they’re working correctly – something Snohomish County was already planning to do.
Touchscreen voting machines have been a terrific addition because of their ease of use and ability to keep voters from making mistakes. The machines give voters multiple prompts to make sure that if they skip a particular race, that was their intention. The machines also won’t allow you to vote for more than one candidate in a race.
County Auditor Bob Terwilliger and his staff deserve credit for being at the cutting edge of voting technology, and leading the charge for more reliable systems. Until paper verification systems can be manufactured and installed, voters here can feel secure in the knowledge that their election system is accurate and reliable.
But if paper verification enhances voter confidence, it’s a worthwhile investment. People come up with enough excuses not to vote – a lack of trust in a voting machine shouldn’t be one of them.
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