Is it true that you can request a paper ballot instead of voting on the computer?

[Quixote1818]

A friend of mine said he requested a paper ballot and then everyone in the room did the same thing.

If so I would recommend we all do this!

[JeffR]

1. Depends on the state, I believe

[Virginian]

2. Not in Virginia. Cannot request paper here.

Also too late to request paper absentee ballot

[jobycom]

3. I'd recommend against it, but no one will listen to me.

First, it is less likely to be counted, and if the fix is in, it's much easier to cheat with paper ballots.

Second, you'll slow down the process, which means longer lines, which means more chance people will leave without voting.

Third, if the results are fixed, they will be fixed at the counting stage, not just the casting stage. Which means it really doesn't matter what medium you vote on, they'll miscount it.

Fourth, there wouldn't be enough paper ballots cast to prove anything. If a third were paper (and that's not even close to likely to happen), they wouldn't be enough to prove anything had happened.

Fifth, if they are cheating, the more we force them to rig the numbers, the more likely they are to get caught. Casting your vote on paper won't make it any harder for them to cheat, it will just give them an excuse to explain the screwed-up results if they get caught.

It's a protest that will hurt our side more than theirs. Fight the battle in the courts and legislatures, and you have a better chance of winning.

[gumby]

4. And all those inconvenient paper ballots will be thrown to the wind.

The only way paper ballots can prevail is if ALL votes are on paper ballots and then counted in public in front of monitors representing all concerned.

The argument against this method is that in many places, there are so many people and initiatives on the ballot it would be almost impossible to be counted by actual human beings. Answer: have separate ballots for each contest. duh. So you go into the voting booth with separate pages instead of one with multiple choices. What's so hard about that?

[WatchWhatISay]

5. Not in my county

I asked but was told that they didn't have any paper ballots.

I am an election alternate judge, so I know that our machines have battery backup available, but what if we lost power for an extended period of time?

It's hard to believe that they dont have some sort of alternative in case the machines fail.