BBV: MN discussing e-voting machines

[Bushfire]

"You can get a receipt for your groceries, you can get a receipt for your gas -- I think voting machines should at least be as clever as gas pumps," (Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson) said.

Mike Hoversten, a regional sales manager for ES&S, said his company is developing a prototype add-on for its touch-screen machine that would provide a paper ballot for every voter. Those ballots could be reviewed by voters before being cast. They would be stored in the voting machine and accessible to election judges if computer results were contested.

She (Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer), too, would back only a new voting system that provides a paper ballot trail for potential recounts or computer result verification, Kiffmeyer said. She said that has long been her position and that critics have misrepresented her stance.

"Minnesota has a law that requires a paper ballot," she said. "And the Legislature and myself feel very strongly about having that paper ballot."


http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/7157101.htm

some of the politicians are starting to get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go DFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RC]

1. NOoooo!!!

"They would be stored in the voting machine and accessible to election judges if computer results were contested."

Those paper ballots MUST be stored separately from the voting machines!

What good is an audit trail if it could disappear with the machine?

[gristy]

2. Paper ballots always disappear after being "cast"

whether into a ballot box, to be counted later, or through an optical scan reader and then into a box. Your fear is unwarrented.

Secretary Kiffmeyer is doing the right thing. I've had exchanged several emails with her and sat in on her state plan meetings last year. Give her office a call [phone] or send her an email [e-mail] and thank her for doing the right thing.

[dusty64]

3. Also a random sampling

MUST be counted and matched with the machine results to ensure they are accurate whether the race is close or not.

[qb]

4. I am glad she has seen the light.

I think there are enough liberal state reps & senators in Minnesota that she had no choice but to take this position. I hope officials in Georgia & other states take note.

Note: Kiffmeyer is the one who (along with Democratic Atty. General Mike Hatch) decided voters who cast absentee ballots for Wellstone were "out of luck" after his death. Officials in several counties ignored them and mailed out replacement ballots.