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All you need in a voting machine is something that can properly punch the cards. That's what the problem in 2000. You don't need to send the votes over the In
by stretchwithme 16y ago
All you need in a voting machine is something that can properly punch the cards. That's what the problem in 2000. You don't need to send the votes over the Internet or store anything on the machine. It doesn't need to be secure.
But you will need a PC that costs a couple hundred bucks. And a card punch machine that has been around for decades. In other words, commodity hardware.
Once you've made your choices and your ballot's punched, you should be able to walk it over to a completely different PC that has a punch card reader. And maybe its got software from a completely different organization. Did it record your choices properly? Confirmed. Now, drop it in the box.
Simple. No possibility for fraud and you got a paper trail.
- SkyMarshal 16y agoNit: You don't even need anachronistic punch card machines, color-in-the-bubble voting forms work just fine. Those are used in even more places than hole punch forms these days, from voting to SAT grading machines. They're even more commodity, more familiar to the public. Otherwise, agreed.
- stretchwithme 16y agoyeah but using a PC lets the user see their choices clearly and encodes their vote with a single click, instead of having to relate a letter or number to their choice and find the question on the form and then confirm the letter or number before finally filling it in. Grandmothers with shaky hands will have a much easier time.