NYC Elections Board Rings In the Old, as Lever Machines Replace Scanners

[Renew Deal]

Dented, dinged and dated, New York’s battleship-gray lever voting machines have been hauled out of retirement because the city can’t seem to get the hang of electronic voting.

About 5,100 old machines, each weighing more than 800 pounds and made of 20,000 parts, have been lubricated, and the names of candidates from 2009 (Michael R. Bloomberg, anyone?) have been removed and replaced with those of this year’s contenders.
<snip>

But after long lines and chaotic polling scenes in 2012, as well as problems producing complete election results, the State Legislature this year authorized the return of the lever machines for the primary and any ensuing runoff, though it insisted that the city make the electronic machines work for the November general election.

“It’s the only solution,” said Michael J. Ryan, who was appointed executive director of the Board of Elections a month ago, after nearly three years in which the position sat empty.
<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/nyregion/lever-machines-briefly-replace-paper-ballots-and-optical-scanners.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Jeez, I remember those things in the gym of my NYC elementary school

Sorry, MIC, they're much tougher to rig than the electronic versions.

[Renew Deal]

2. They are still used for smaller elections in my area.

The electronic machines are broken out for the GE, but we still get levers for school budget votes, etc.

[snot]

3. K&R'd!

[stuartsdesk1]

4. It's Not the ONLY Solution - But It's an OK Solution

There are other ways. And those DON'T include going all electronic.

If there is no physical backup (as there is not with totally electronic machines) then
there is no guarantee against electronic fraud. A truly reliable recount is impossible.

In my hometown we use large white cards with open ovals next to the candidate's
names. The cards are presented to the voter by the election monitors after they check the voter's name and registration status.

The voter enters a small booth and blacks in the ovals using a felt tip or ball pen. Then the cards are
carried to a 2nd set of election monitors who recheck the voter.s registration status.

The cards are then inserted into an optical scanner which records and tallies the vote AND saves the cards.
Either side up, top or bottom first, the scanner works in all directions.

It's fast, very safe and actually easier for voters to understand than the lever machine. Certainly more
intuitive and easier to use than an electronic terminal.

And there is a physical record in case a truly reliable recount is needed.