Marian Said:

Should electronic voting machines be banned nationwide ?

We Answered:

I don't think we need to ban them, only to ensure that they are safe, leave a paper trail, don't leave 'back doors', etc. We do this by having an independent state commission examine the source code. If the vendor says the source code is secret or 'proprietary', we don't use that vendor.

Diebold, for instance, makes millions of automated teller machines that are incredibly safe. I've never heard of one being hacked, numbers being changed in it, etc. And if that ever happened, thousands of banks across the country would be dumping their ATMs and replacing them. Yet this same company doesn't seem to be able to ensure the safety and security of its voting machines. And the PRESIDENT of the company announces publicly that he is going to get GW Bush elected. What's wrong with this picture?

Jennie Said:

Why do Republicans object to electronic voting machines in Democrat controlled states?

We Answered:

Every sane person should object to electronic voting machines. I personally want a verifiable paper record of who I voted for. The machines are too easily manipulated.

Leo Said:

Do you trust electronic voting machines?

We Answered:

The potential for one person to gain access and possibly tamper with results is so much greater with the E-voting process.
My understanding of the paper ballot system is that; if someone wanted to change results of paper ballots, they'd have to physically be at the location where paper ballots are counted.
With E-voting, it's a possibility someone could change the results of multiple voting locations, with or without physically being there.

Some things Are worth the paper they're printed on.

Thanks.

Ken Said:

Does the use of electronic voting machines improve the voting process?

We Answered:

Electronic voting machines have the potential to improved the electoral process but should not be used until the weakness are addressed. They are too easily hacked, they are kept in insecure locations, and they don't all provide a printed ballot to confirm that the vote has been recorded properly. Too many partisan politicians are in charge of election procedures and provisions with a vested interested in the outcome like Katheryn Harris in Florida and Ken Blackwell in Ohio. We do need to resolve some big problems with elections including the e-voting machine weaknesses if we are to expect voters to cast ballots. And, we'd better stop finding fault with other country's elections until we address our own problems.

Alan Said:

Can we trust electronic voting machines without an audit trail to be free from interference or hacking?

We Answered:

Suppose your bank announced to one day that they were no longer sending you statements - and that there was no longer any way for an independent audit of your account to be done - that you had to simply trust them - and if you disagreed with what they said was in your account, too bad.

How long would you stay with that bank?

Why put up with voting machines that are doing this to our elections?

Computers are only servants, they have no intrinsic reliablility or trustworthiness. Has your computer ever had a virus or spyware infection? It is trivial for a hacker to exploit these simple servants, and make them loyal to a new master.

Does anyone doubt that this is possible, or that a hundred special interests and foreign governments are not now, at this very moment plotting how to exploit this new weakness in our election system?

To imagine that this is simple partisan sour grapes is short-sighted, as the machines, if not extremely well-designed (and they are not), can be made to serve anyone.

How could anyone be against transparent, accurate, and verifiable elections? What are the motives of those that do not want this?