Since the 2000 election voting has a hot button topic in nearly every state. A new article from NPR's Pam Fessler suggests that the problem is nowhere near solved. According to Fessler, even the new "machines are starting to wear out." Each state has unique issues associated with it's voting mechanisms, but they are all considering new approaches. There is a tension from the public for two opposing reasons. First, the reliability of electronic voting methods is highly suspect. People want to know that their votes are incorruptible no matter the election. There is, however, also a push to go modern. The populace is generally unimpressed with old methods. People want to see laptops, not paper and pencil at the polling places. The problem is that paper ballots tend to be more reliable than new electronic methods, therein causing a tension.
Taking advantage of this tension a circle of companies have starting bidding for the right to build voting machines. Some forerunners include hybrid voting methods, which include tablets which can be recycled into new programs after single use, and punch cards which add a layer of reliability. Whether one votes or not, most people want to know at the very least that the voting process is secure.
You can read the article for yourself here:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/02/14/386191861/around-the-u-s-voting-technology-is-all-over-the-place
No comments:
Post a Comment