[EM] Reading rangevoting.org/VotMach.html paper ballots

[Anthony Duff]

I agree with Abd ul-Rahman Lomax below.  The paper ballot is cheap, adaptable, and
provides a paper trail.  Dedicated voting machines are a bad idea.

An excellent proposal I heard on PBS radio long ago is this:

The voter uses a computer (any old basic PC) to create a ballot.  The ballot is
then printed in a format suitable for scanning.  The computer keeps no records.

The voter takes the printed ballot, checks that it corresponds to his intentions,
and puts it into a ballot box.

Subsequently (or immediately), the ballot is scanned.  The scanning computer
counts the votes and the paper ballots are kept as the gold standard.

Anthony


--- Abd ul-Rahman Lomax <abd at lomaxdesign.com> wrote:
> 
> Again, this is a voting machine problem, a very strong argument for 
> going back to paper ballots, particularly paper ballots that can be 
> scanned. Since the equipment necessary for scanning is lying about, 
> essentially free, the conversion cost would be minimal. Note that 
> voters are already able to cast paper ballots, since I presume they 
> don't mail out the machines to absentee voters.....
> 
> As I've written many times, voting machines were a bad idea from the 
> beginning. If a voting machine could not handle, say, two or three 
> positions per candidate, then it was already primed to have 
> difficulty with just about any electoral reform, since most of the 
> proposed reforms give more opportunity for additional candidates to 
> run without damaging outcomes, so we can expect candidate counts to 
> increase. The voting machine argument, in the end, is against just 
> about all election method reform, not just Range. It inhibits IRV or 
> any Condorcet method that allows more than two ranks. (Condorcet 
> reduces to Approval if only two ranks are allowed.)
> 
> >HAVA is demanding new voting machines.  With proper planning and
> >procurement these could have whatever capabilities are useful.
> 
> The proposals -- and laws -- for new machines just about drive me 
> crazy. Paper ballots are cheap, can be scanned with cheap or free 
> equipment, and provide inherent audit trail. However, they don't make 
> the mfrs of voting machines rich, and there is no paper-ballot lobby, 
> nor a significant pencil lobby, nor will there be until voters wake 
> up and realize that the system is eating their lunch.
> 
> ----
> election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
> 


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