John Patrick
Assistant Editor
As the November election grows ever closer, residual doubt over the 2000 election’s legitimacy has caused new electronic voting technologies to be utilized in an effort to remove butterfly ballots and “hanging chads” from the equation.
The major issue of the 2000 election was the widespread doubt and uncertainty caused by the complicated and obsolete ballots that were used in the Florida electoral process. After recounts and much debate, Supreme Court intervention finally decided the election, and a weary and confused public demanded that the voting process be simplified. Thus e-voting was birthed into the mainstream.
The only problem is that e-voting may be just as unreliable, if not more, than the antiquated ballots used in 2000’s electoral process.
Matt Zimmerman, staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that “e-voting is beneficial in many ways, but it’s just not ready for prime time.”
Zimmerman said election observers at primaries across the country have not witnessed many failures.
However, these observations were dubious at best since in most cases there was no way to tell if a failure had occurred, he said.
The reason for this is that most electronic voting systems lack the one component that could really put an end to all this uncertainty: a paper trail.
According to Zimmerman, this situation, coupled with training errors and technical errors, could lead “Florida [to be] the Florida of 2004.”
Though the potential for a debacle exists, Zimmerman acknowledged that since there is no established track record for electronic voting, expectations are far from clear.
The EFF is doing its best to ensure that all goes smoothly on Election Day. There will be a voting hotline to receive problem reports and observers will be placed in trouble spots throughout the nation. Both observers and poll workers will have access to check lists, (found at the EFF’s Web site www.eff.org) which outline terminology and potential issues that could arise.
Also, the EFF has recently made public the results of their research into the various strengths and weaknesses of the most popular voting machines. This information can be obtained at the EFF’s Web site.
“It’s extremely important that people vote, despite any concerns that they have about new voting machines,” Zimmerman said. “The more people know about the about the machines they’ll be using, the better prepared they’ll be on election day.”
In addition to the resources provided by the EFF, the People for the American Way Foundation has a Web site (www.electionprotection.com) where individuals can obtain information regarding the Voters’ Bill of Rights and access links to other Web sites including the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission and the House of Representatives among others.
Despite these precautions, Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, has some advice for people who want to make sure that their vote is counted properly this November.
“If anybody wants their vote to count,” Alexander said, “they should get it on paper. Voters can use absentee ballots or demand a paper ballot [at their polling place].”
“You have the right to ask for a paper ballot,” she said.
Even some of those who would like to see voting in an electronic format have their reservations.
“When and if [e-voting] works, it would reduce costs and be more accurate,” said Seta Whitby, associate professor of computer science. “[But] humans wrote the program, and humans are capable of making mistakes. I am worried about those mistakes.”
Many members of the United States Senate seem to share this worry. Earlier this month, Sen. Dianne Feinstein co-sponsored legislation, along with senators from Nevada, Illinois and New Hampshire, requiring that voting machines produce a paper trail. In a press release distributed by Sen. Feinstien’s Office on Sept. 8 Sen. Feinstein said, “After the election problems in Florida in 2000 and more recently in California, it is clear that we must do more to ensure that citizens’ votes are counted.”
However, should this be signed into law, this election will not be effected as it does not require the necessary upgrades to be made until July 2006.
John Patrick can be reached at jpatrick@ulv.edu.
Seven Ways to Make Your Vote Count
The November election is right around the corner, and for many people the outcome of this election will be crucial. Whether you support Bush or Kerry, making sure that your vote is counted should be your number one priority.
Voting experts at the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have released a list of seven measures that you can take to make your vote heard.
• Make sure you are registered. This is as simple as calling your local election office or contacting them via the Internet.
• Get a sample ballot and read it carefully. Your local election office can provide you with one, or you might receive one in the mail.
• Bring your sample ballot to your voting booth. A sample ballot contains useful information that can help you cast your vote.
• If you can, try to vote between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., otherwise you may have to wait in long lines.
• Know your rights and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Voting information can be obtained prior to going to your polling place by contacting your local election office or logging on to www.vote.caltech.edu.
Remember you can always get help from polling officials at your polling location.
• You have the right to vote as long as you are registered in your precinct, even if your name does not appear on the list of registered voters. Make sure to ask poll workers what you can do if your name does not appear – rules may vary from state to state.
• Make sure your ballot reflects how you want to vote before you turn it in.
–John Patrick
