23 April 2005
Touch-Screen Voting Comes to SD
System Still Produces Paper Ballot for Counting
When The Chief first heard that so-called touch screen balloting was going to be implemented, there were MAJOR concerns. These involved the possible situation, as exists in some states, where an electronic voting system feeds data into a centralized computer system at some level, for tabulation and reporting. The problem there, is that most systems like that can get hacked, and there are other associated security problems.
The day the nation goes to an all-electronic voting system, is the day that the electoral system's integrity dies a horrible death!
The system adopted by SD will apparently still produce a printed ballot that is used for tabulation, along with the previously used marked / scanned ballot system. This is a great way to go! It insures access for disabled folks to be able to reliably and privately vote, and still provides a paper trail for election accuracy and auditing, as may be necessary.
Kudos to Chris Nelson, the SD Sec'y of State for going this route.
When The Chief first heard that so-called touch screen balloting was going to be implemented, there were MAJOR concerns. These involved the possible situation, as exists in some states, where an electronic voting system feeds data into a centralized computer system at some level, for tabulation and reporting. The problem there, is that most systems like that can get hacked, and there are other associated security problems.
The day the nation goes to an all-electronic voting system, is the day that the electoral system's integrity dies a horrible death!
The system adopted by SD will apparently still produce a printed ballot that is used for tabulation, along with the previously used marked / scanned ballot system. This is a great way to go! It insures access for disabled folks to be able to reliably and privately vote, and still provides a paper trail for election accuracy and auditing, as may be necessary.
Kudos to Chris Nelson, the SD Sec'y of State for going this route.
