Reply #12: OK two different issues here [View All]

[endarkenment]

1) vote recording equipment.

2) central tabulators.

Yes the central tabulator is almost always a computer and as it is a computer it can of course be hacked and compromised. Even if humans or trained monkeys were doing the central tabulation, this is always a critical point in the voting process that can be targeted and compromised.

How the votes are tabulated is pretty much independent of how the votes are originally recorded.

The best vote recording systems have a paper trail and can be recounted repeatedly by hand if need be. The worst kind have no paper trail at all and cannot be recounted. Mechanical (lever) and touchscreen systems are the absolute worst.

If the tabulation process is suspect (as it should be) having an verifiable recording system is essential. Individal precincts can be recounted by hand and compared against tabulation records. Discrepencies should show up if they exist.