Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
Doesn't Trust Electronic Voting
RECEIVED Wed., Feb. 18, 2009
Dear Austin Chronicle,
Re: "Time to Evaluate E-vote" by Lee Nichols ["Naked City," News, Feb. 13]: Lee Nichols wrote that VoteRescue distrusts electronic voting, because it doesn't leave a paper trail, and wants a return to paper ballots.
To clarify, it is true that VoteRescue supports a return to paper ballots. But, VoteRescue doesn't distrust electronic voting because it doesn't leave a paper trail; we distrust it because e-voting is secret vote counting and is so prone to undetectable hacking that even adding a paper trail does not make it a secure way to vote.
For example, computer security studies have shown that e-voting machines can record a vote differently inside the computer than is printed on a piece of paper that is produced by the machines.
The simplest, most transparent, and fair voting system is for a voter to mark a piece of paper in private (there are machines available for the disabled to use to mark a paper ballot), then for that paper ballot to be kept secure in a locked box under constant public view until the end of the voting day when the box is opened and the ballots are counted by hand, fully witnessed by citizens. We say, "Get it right on election night."
VoteRescue supports Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir's new election study group, and we look forward to participating in it.
Re: "Time to Evaluate E-vote" by Lee Nichols ["Naked City," News, Feb. 13]: Lee Nichols wrote that VoteRescue distrusts electronic voting, because it doesn't leave a paper trail, and wants a return to paper ballots.
To clarify, it is true that VoteRescue supports a return to paper ballots. But, VoteRescue doesn't distrust electronic voting because it doesn't leave a paper trail; we distrust it because e-voting is secret vote counting and is so prone to undetectable hacking that even adding a paper trail does not make it a secure way to vote.
For example, computer security studies have shown that e-voting machines can record a vote differently inside the computer than is printed on a piece of paper that is produced by the machines.
The simplest, most transparent, and fair voting system is for a voter to mark a piece of paper in private (there are machines available for the disabled to use to mark a paper ballot), then for that paper ballot to be kept secure in a locked box under constant public view until the end of the voting day when the box is opened and the ballots are counted by hand, fully witnessed by citizens. We say, "Get it right on election night."
VoteRescue supports Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir's new election study group, and we look forward to participating in it.
Jenny Clark and Vickie Karp
VoteRescue.org
VoteRescue.org
