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from the newer-is-not-necessarily-better dept.
The Intercept reports
The nation's secretaries of state gathered for a multi-day National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) conference in Washington, D.C., this weekend, with cybersecurity on the mind.
Panels and lectures centered around the integrity of America's election process, with the federal probe into alleged Russian government attempts to penetrate voting systems a frequent topic of discussion.
[...] One way to allay concerns about the integrity of electronic voting machine infrastructure, however, is to simply not use it. Over the past year, a number of states are moving back towards the use of paper ballots or at least requiring a paper trail of votes cast.
For instance, Pennsylvania just moved to require all voting systems to keep a paper record of votes cast. Prior to last year's elections in Virginia, the commonwealth's board of elections voted to decertify paperless voting machines--voters statewide instead voted the old-fashioned way, with paper ballots.
[...] Oregon is one of two states in the country to require its residents to vote by mail, a system that was established via referendum in 1998. [Oregon Secretary of State Dennis] Richardson argued that this old-fashioned system offers some of the best defense there is against cyber interference.
"We're using paper and we're never involved with the Internet. The Internet is not involved at all until there's an announcement by each of our 36 counties to [the capital] Salem of what the results are and then that's done orally and through a confirmation e-mail and the county clerks in each of the counties are very careful to ensure that the numbers that actually are posted are the ones that they have," he said. "Oregon's in a pretty unique situation."
[...] In New Hampshire, the state uses a hybrid system that includes both paper ballots and machines that electronically count paper ballots with a paper trail.
Karen Ladd, the assistant secretary of state for New Hampshire, touted the merits of the system to The Intercept. "We do a lot of recounts, and you can only have a recount with a paper ballot. You can't do a recount with a machine!" she said.
America's paper ballot states may seem antiquated to some, but our neighbors to the north have used paper ballots for federal elections for their entire history. Thanks to an army of officials at 25,000 election stations, the integrity of Canada's elections is never in doubt.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday February 20 2018, @11:02PM (2 children)
Sigh.
You do know this is the procedure everywhere there are paper ballots, right?
There are so many steps AFTER the ballot is dropped into the box, where things can go wrong, that your comment serves no purpose other than to trivialize the discussion.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by MostCynical on Wednesday February 21 2018, @04:52AM
I sense strawmen.
Independent, volunteer observers, as well as nominated party observers, and paid staff actually doing the counts.
These people watch all day, and stay until the count is finished.
Total number of votes matches total signed off as attending that booth.. Then start counting the preferences.
Any variation between local polling stations more than x% triggers a recount.
No announced results until a certain percentage have been counted.
Usualły done within a few hours of the closure of the booths.
All done with paper. All able to be re-done at any time afterwards, until several years later.
Sure. Australia is only as big as California, by population, but if it works, it can work anywhere.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by dry on Thursday February 22 2018, @04:30AM
We use cardboard ballot boxes here in Canada. The important thing is enough people watch the whole process from start to the finish of counting that no one has an opportunity to screw with the ballots.
It's really simple, count the ballots at the polling place in front of witnesses rather then taking them away to count.