ATM voters

Thursday December 1, 2005 - 12:27PM EDT

There has to be a lot of people reading these articles about e-voting in the U.S. and wondering how we can make something that should be fairly simple so difficult. I know I am one of them. There are many baffling points. First is paper trail. How is it that any state let voting machines put in use without a paper trail. The whole voting process previously had one yet the new one it magically disappears. Weird how paper trail has become a point of contention when it should be the most basic of things to be required. Then there are these large companies that have somehow established themselves as a e-voting machine provider and instead of following the rules that may be put into place by a state they want to make the state bend to how they created their e-voting machine. I suppose the states deserves some blame for that because some of them let e-voting machines be put in use without a strong policy to regulate them so the manufacturers just did what they wanted. Lastly I am baffled by how no one can seem to come up with decent regulations and standards for e-voting. Not only from a technical standpoint but a process one. This shouldn't be that hard. Its just weird. Especially when a machine exists that you could base your e-voting machine off of. The ATM. Paper trail, easy interface, verification process, everyone knows how to use one. Just seems like if the ATM is so successful how is it that no one can figure out a decent e-voting machine. I've been told by a military security expert that the most secure computer systems in the U.S. are financial ones. Even more secure than public utility and miltary systems. When was the last time someone hacked an ATM.