Reply #16: It even sounds convincing

[Fredda Weinberg]

Electronic voting has the potential advantage of being cheap, more reliable than existing systems (especially here in NY, where we use lever machines that have never provided an audit trail) and provide accessibility to the handicapped.

So we can't just dismiss the technology - nor can we reject the existing mechanisms by which governments adopt these systems. Unless and until we can present an alternative, proprietary systems will be selected and existing authorities will influence the decision-makers.

But citizens can make a difference ... again, I use a metaphor everyone can understand: you wouldn't walk away from an ATM without a receipt, nor should voters allow potentially malicious code to affect an election.

But as a practical issue, we can't expect a paper recount for every race - but if there is a paper trail, officials will conduct statistical samples to verify the reliability of the results. The audit trail must include a voter verifiable component or the system remains vulnerable to tampering.

I think we can agree on this ... years ago, I called the League of Women Voters headquarters when they were solidly behind DREs and made this argument - and got a friendly response. Citizens can make a difference if we're willing to act.