Paper ballots are the answer
Re: Machine madness As I read the story on the voting machine conundrum and gazed at the associated picture of a huge warehouse of voting machines, I just shook by head.
The story goes on to describe the dilemma the various counties have with voting machines that are probably not going to be certified and ready to go by the 2008 election.
Every time I read these stories, I wonder why we don’t just do away with individual electronic machines.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just have all paper ballots that are read by a scanning machine and not deal with hundreds and thousands of individual voting machines?
This would also address the issue of a “paper trail”
that many voters are concerned about. Using only a paper ballot, whether by mail ballot or voting in person would simplify the entire process.
My observation of the recently completed all mail balloting in Arapahoe and Jefferson county is that they appeared to have been handled very efficiently.
The majority of the voting results were already posted on their web sites by 7pm, election night.
As for the city and county of Denver voting problems, they will apparently occur regardless of the voting system. Denver can’t seem to get its act together, whatever they try.
If the legislation does address this issue, to allow an all mail ballot in the presidential election, they should also give the counties the option of conducting an all mail ballot every year, if they so chose.
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My comment is that if they are changing the rules late in the game, then it's an unexpected large cost to the counties. I call this an unfunded mandate and the state should pony up the dollars needed to make it happen.
Also I like mail ballots.
Posted by mark henson on February 12, 2008 07:02 AM