Reply #5: After reading "Steal This Vote" by Andrew Gumbel

[zacherystaylor]

After reading "Steal This Vote" by Andrew Gumbel I have come to the conclusion that a major part of the problem is that the selection of the technology has been influenced by people with political connections and they have even attempted to use proprietary information to keep the process secret. This doesn't mean that computer technology shouldn't be used but it should be under the control of the public and it should all be in the open and it should only be done if it is the best after being compared with other options.

I think one option worth considering is the possibility that we could set up a computer program that could be used with any PC to chose the ballot, to keep costs down; however it would have to be printed on approved ballots. This would create a paper trail which could be verified in recounts and it could have both print names using proportionate representation and a bar code which could be used for quick counts. If there is a discrepancy then the print copy should take priority over the bar code since it can be verified by the voter.

If this works and a few more details are worked out it could enable accurate voting and quick counts. The system could be checked to make sure there are no discrepancies in trial runs. And it could be double checked during actual runs; this would be important since some of the computer technology has been subject to changes by those with the knowledge necessary; however since the voter would be able to read it before making it final he/she should be able to verify it.