Touch screen voting v. your bank's ATM

[Bake]

In Jackson MS, the day after the election, I was in a partuclarly foul mood. I probably should have just stayed in my office with the door closed and not talked to anybody, but I've never been one to keep my mouth shut. Down on the plaza in front of my office building, the discussion turned to the new voting machines used here in Hinds County. When I questioned the wisdom of voting electronically with no paper trail, one of my colleagues poo-poo'd my concerns.

I said, "Do you make bank deposits through an ATM?" (As a former banker, I know that many people are uncomfortable making deposits through ATMs.) The response, "Heck no, I'll make withdrawals, but I'd never make a deposit in one of those things."

I said, "Well, the ATM gives you a RECEIPT for your deposit, doesn't it?" "Yes, but I just don't trust that."

"So why in the world would you trust your VOTE to a machine that doesn't even give you a receipt?"

I think that is an apt analogy for this BBV issue. If you don't trust an ATM that gives you a receipt and has several forms of paper trail, why in the world should we trust a voting machine with NO paper trail???

Bake

[Caution]

1. great one! n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. Use ATM's to vote upon.

That was the curious yet intriuging idea a computer software consultant provided in answer to my question to him on what he thought of BBV. He said the whole idea is kind of screwy to begin with, so why not use machines and a dependable network which is already in place?
We didn't get into the whole problem this would represent in terms of reciepts etc... but he agreed computer voting only compounds the problem with its added complexity and increased opportunity for errors.