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Alexandria · 11-02-2004, 02:22 PM

I voted using a touch screen for the first time today. Wow, I can see now see why people have problems with this kind of voting...

It has nothing to do with it being in electronic form but the method they use to record the votes.

You get a little plastic card, bring it to the machine and insert it and do your voting. There is a nice confirmation screen at the end where you can review all your selections. Next you turn your little plastic card to a guy who is supposed to run it through a second machine. This machine takes what is on the card and dumps it to a database (?) and then erases or resets the information on the card. He then gives the same plastic card to the next person in line.

I have no idea if he ever ran my card. He just put it down next to the machine to get back to it later.

I don't like how you reuse the plastic cards and do not receive any verification that they are going to run your card into the second machine before handing it out to someone else.

I can see the potential for abuse, but then again, I guess they could mess up your paper cards while you weren't looking too...

I think the accidental error rate is probably worse then doing it with paper. It's just too easy for them to forgot to dump your info from the card or even press the wrong button and erase your data before they dump it for the next person. There is some definite room for improvement with current electronic voting systems.

11-02-2004, 02:22 PM	#8
Alexandria Draft Pick Join Date: Mar 2004	I voted using a touch screen for the first time today. Wow, I can see now see why people have problems with this kind of voting... It has nothing to do with it being in electronic form but the method they use to record the votes. You get a little plastic card, bring it to the machine and insert it and do your voting. There is a nice confirmation screen at the end where you can review all your selections. Next you turn your little plastic card to a guy who is supposed to run it through a second machine. This machine takes what is on the card and dumps it to a database (?) and then erases or resets the information on the card. He then gives the same plastic card to the next person in line. I have no idea if he ever ran my card. He just put it down next to the machine to get back to it later. I don't like how you reuse the plastic cards and do not receive any verification that they are going to run your card into the second machine before handing it out to someone else. I can see the potential for abuse, but then again, I guess they could mess up your paper cards while you weren't looking too... I think the accidental error rate is probably worse then doing it with paper. It's just too easy for them to forgot to dump your info from the card or even press the wrong button and erase your data before they dump it for the next person. There is some definite room for improvement with current electronic voting systems.