What can we, an informed electorate, do to halt the use of voting machines with no paper trail?
374474
Probably nothing, unless there's a big push in Congress, or you become the president of Diebold.
1136492
I can only name one that I'm aware of, Diebold.  They're based in Ohio I believe and have been in the news quite a bit.  There has been speculation about their machines in the 2004 election and the proper counting of votes.  Should be lots of articles out there on it.
966807
Yes, this is the only way to keep them from cheating, but they always find another way. Something to consider: under congressional testimony a Diebold executive remarked about how his machines could be remotely accessed. Isnt that also cause for alarm?
109140
No.  The only way would be if you kept the stub they gave you and were given access to the ballots.  I think you would need a court order to do that if they still exist.  Yet we believe the votes are being accurately counted, even after Florida and Bush's first election.  Scary!!!!!
921913
It seems quite possible that this will be the case (though it really depends on who the election seems to favor).  It certainly would not be the first instance in recent memory where questions concerning absentee ballots and voter machines turned the election into a sleazy media debacle.  \n\nNo doubt, whoever comes out on top will immediately take steps  to "fix" the system (which has apparently become too complicated for the folks charged with counting the ballots), and prevent any future confusion.
812821
It is so hard to believe how many American's do NOT understand that this country has most likely NEVER had honest elections or a legitimate political process! Only public claims by political insiders that it is legitimate! The cheating did not start with E-voting machines rather this method makes who gets paid off cheaper when producing the numeric results regardless of what method of cheating has taken place! If banks & credit card companies can find ways to curtail fraud surely we can do like wise with a voting system, But i do not think it should be keept secret & you need a record of the ballot plus post it publically on a county website for all to see & access in attempt to keep things honest!
154386
I agree with you.  We should create a system of computer voting on every issue.  The security technology exists (smart id cards etc.) to make it secure and verifiable and auditable.\nOpen Source would have to be used and strict rules would have to be used for how it is implemented and hosted, but I think it's possible, and I think it's a good idea.\n\nThis way we could get rid of (ban?) political parties, because the more independently people consider their votes the better the system will work.\n\nIt could be implemented step by step, initially just for opinion polling.
137289
Finally, a good question.  Voting out the current dictatorship is the first step.  Stop voting Democrat or Republican.
769078
Oregon already has mail in ballots. With today's technology, the Internet is too open to hacking and fraud for online voting.
924577
Yes!  The voting machines can be fixed.  There was a show on HBO I think last Tues. or Wed. called Hacking Democracy.  It showed how a hacker could alter the vote totals in the memory cards that counted all the votes.  It also showed another arrogant company (Dieboldt), proclaiming it couldn't be done after it was shown to be possible.  There was also a voting machine showing 16,000 negative votes for Al Gore in the last election... and yes it was in Florida.  Dieboldt actually left the program on an open ftp site.  Go to HBO.com, there must be a link.  Old news to some extent, but pretty scary nonetheless.\n\n\n\nOkay- to the 2 thumbs down with blinders on.  Do the research and tell me I didn't see the show.  It's attitudes like that which divide us.
758797
I voted on a diebold machine and felt it was safe and accurate.\n\nHowever, if someone really tried and knew what they were doing, fraud could be an issue with those machines. Better safeguards are needed in the future.
593652
It makes sense to vote in the states that have not yet been corrupted. Plus if we the dems did not vote it would give the appearance that there really is a 'republican majority'. Planning a mass protest involving not voting would never work either. It'd be too hard to organize. We vote for the same reason there is religion. Faith. \n\nOf course, faith really doesn't work all that well sometimes. Maybe the lying cheaters will get caught one day! Or maybe progressives need to do more on ensuring 'fair elections'. If the republicans have nothing to hide why are they so adamantly opposed to paper ballots? Hmmm, i wonder.
797080
Voting & a paper trail is all good but for total verification we will need to eliminate all secretcy retain a genuine ballot leaving the polls! Publically post this same exact copy on your county website! Plus be able trace anyone's accountability when transmitted numerically open to the public no hiding in secret! So like how you manage a bank account you can moniter all functions through every level of accountability! People against this don't like it cause cheating is easier carried out from the start if you have no means of verification! Having everything accessable to all is to keep it all honest & put more responsability on the individual to tract his or her vote from start to finish ending in the numeric statistics etc. If it can not be resolved soon i would support the revolution hopefully to inact a true Democracy with complete rule & control by the legal majority of citizens!
715483
It is very disconcerting to hear that many of the new voting machines do not give receipts, or copies to the voters, or to anyone else.  If there is a malfunction or fraud, there will be no way to verify the results and there will be no possibility for a recount.  This may cast a big cloud over the election for voters in either party, but especially for the losers.  I don't like that news.
834647
Thanks Hun... !\n\nI will... make it as difficult as possible for them... we have paper ballots that are counted by machines... but still the paper backup.
156020
With the inconsistancies in the last 2 elections, we need to make sure we have a paper trail. That means either a receipt at computer voting machines or an actual ballot. No computer is perfect and not every computer operator is ethical and unbiased. With the vote counts in the last 3 elections so close, we need to make sure an accurate cound can be made and VERIFIED.
867587
I was wondering if voting absentee is not a better route since these voting machines are so unreliable. I don't know. I sure liked tossing a folded envelope inside a box.