Electronic voting is a touchy subject - San Diego Union Tribune

[helderheid]

County registrar is confident that machines are secure
By Leslie Wolf Branscomb
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

October 29, 2006

Next week's election will usher in a new era of electronic voting, whether Americans are ready for it or not.

On Nov. 7, more than one-third of the nation – including many in San Diego County – will cast touch-screen ballots on electronic voting machines for the first time.


NADIA BOROWSKI SCOTT / Union-Tribune
Joyce Jones, a worker at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, on Monday prepared electronic voting machines made by Diebold. More than 10,000 machines are being prepared for Election Day.

The move to high-tech voting has generated a huge amount of controversy, tinged with a touch of paranoia. Concerns have been raised about mass confusion, long lines, fraud and electoral integrity.

Backers of the machines say these fears are overblown. But two years ago, the county's first attempt at electronic voting was marred as some poll workers got blank screens when they tried to turn on newly purchased Diebold machines.

County elections officials say different machines will be used next week and that past problems, attributed to drained batteries, have been remedied.

A growing number of people, including computer programmers, university professors and political candidates, believe the machines can be hacked and elections stolen by the technologically savvy.

Tova Wang of The Century Foundation, a public policy research institution, sees trouble ahead.

“There's a rather combustible confluence of events going on right now,” Wang said.

“Congress hangs in the balance, and we have a whole slew of new rules and new machines.”.

She said many states also have new voter registration guidelines, including California, where residents now must show a driver's license or other identification when registering for the first time.

“I think at the end of Election Day, we may find ourselves with stacks of paper and long, drawn-out election counts. This is not going to do much for voter confidence.”

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20061029-9999-1n29voting.html

[aquart]

1. My sister and her husband just picked up their absentee applications.

She said they have till the 31 to apply for the absentee ballots. I thought this was cutting it way too fine.

[helderheid]

2. wow, the 31st? That seems pretty damned close!

[aquart]

3. That's what I say.

What do you want to bet that the absentee ballots never show up?