High-Tech Ballot Counting

The connection to our usual subject matter is tenuous, but in honour of the biggest day in this year’s US primary schedule, I thought I’d post a few links about the ongoing love-hate relationship the US has with electronic voting machines.

For now, I’ll avoid the conspiracy theories linking machine-maker Diebold to various groups and politicians. But there are many concerns about the technology. Here’s a few to look over while you wait for the results to start rolling in:

• Technology Review writes that the biggest concern is not security but useability – people aren’t sure whether their vote is being counted.
• CNET writes about the Democratic Party’s introduction of internet voting for Democrats Abroad, highlighting problems with security, availability and accountability.
• Perhaps inevitably, the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that their county, after signing a $31M deal to use touch-screen machines, has abandoned them in this primary to use paper ballots.