Jonathan Singer: Touch screens not nearly as effective as paper ballots

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Monday, January 17, 2005

Touch screens not nearly as effective as paper ballots

For all of the talk about ATM-like touch screen machines being simpler and more accurate than any other type of voting machine, in reality, this is just not the case. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Jeremy Milarsky reports on this important story [via the Political Wire]:

Florida's touch-screen voting machines performed better in the Nov. 2 presidential election than they did in the March primary, but were still outmatched by older voting devices that use pencil and paper ballots, according to a South Florida Sun-Sentinel analysis.

Voters using the ATM-style voting machines in November were 50 percent more likely to cast a flawed ballot or have an unregistered vote in the presidential race, compared to voting machines employing simple paper ballots.

Oregon, which uses optical scan ballots through the mail in every county, doesn't appear to have the problems faced by Florida, Ohio and other states. Perhaps these trouble spots should learn from the Beaver State and stick to paper ballots...

Posted by: Jonathan Singer / 7:45 PM | Basie! Home