Paper Ballot with Optical Scan Second Chance Voting

Net the Truth Online has provided both sides of the issue of paper ballot vs only electronic direct recording voting systems on this site.

The issue has become dramatically different over the course of some mere 5 years.

There is a split among election watchdogs, election integrity activists that has recently developed on the issue of Rush Holt's bill, known as HR 811.

Review the site for material and information on that issue.

What the issue should boil down to is this:

What do voters who show up at the polling place want when they vote?

Do they want a paper ballot? Do they want to use an electronic voting machine to record their vote?

Because of the prevalance of individuals making unintended errors on a paper ballot one of the major requirements of the Help America Vote Act is for what is known as second chance voting.

That affords the voter a chance to correct a ballot before actually casting the ballot and having the ballot then recorded and subsequently counted according to the laws of the state.

I cite Dr. David Dill's recommendations for this reason. A paper ballot is produced on an optical scan voting system. In the event of a need for a recount, a paper ballot marked by the voter with the opportunity for second chance voting is the only viable "evidence" of a voter's true and clear intent.

However, a paper ballot without the chance for review before casting the ballot could contain errors and illegible, or stray, marks which may invalidate the ballot. Many absentee ballots are so voided and left uncounted many often become subject to someone else's interpretation of the "intent of the voter" during a hand recount.

Some activists call for a complete overhaul of technology - eliminating it - and going to paper ballots with only hand counts.

It is up to you to weigh the presentations of any and all experts.

It is the suggestion of Net the Truth Online to employ a paper ballot with optical scan system and the opportunity for second chance voting at the polling place.

We provide the following for your information.

Senate Rules Committee Testimony of David Dill

by David Dill, VerifiedVoting.org
June 21st, 2005

Testimony David L. Dill, Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University and Founder of the Verified Voting Foundation and VerifiedVoting.org

Before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, June 21, 2005
Hearing on Voter Verification in the Federal Election Process

http://www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5789

Electronic Voting An Overview of the Problem

http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/0418test/dill.pdf

The perils of paperless e-voting
ASK THIS | July 08, 2005
Let’s say your state or local election officials have a paperless e-voting system or are thinking about switching to one. Here are some questions you should ask to see if they’ve really thought it through.
By David Dill

dill@cs.stanford.edu

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ask_this.view&askthisid=00122










http://www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5789