Reply #10: OK, I'll fire one off..

[mcranor]

How's this?

To the Editor:

What a fatuous, ill-considered opinion you offer in today's editorial "Machine Politics." To begin with, the statement upon which the whole argument rests, "it's far easier to manipulate paper ballots than encrypted memory cards," is demonstrably untrue. Also, cheating can be detected in a paper-based system, whereas it is virtually undetectable in the electronic systems (this by design, according to some conspiracy theorists.) Beyond that, you don't even mention the chief problem with touch-screen voting: if a race is close, if there are technical problems, if there are legal challenges to the results, there is NOTHING to recount, NOTHING to audit, NO WAY to verify the intent of the voters. A cloud of uncertainty hangs forever over any such electoral 'decision'. How in the name of Democracy can you find this acceptable?

(XXXXXXXXXX)
Eugene, Oregon