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...at least in Florida.

I understand that there are concerns about security and privacy, but seriously -- there has to be a better way.

I early voted on Friday (my parents and wife had done it before).  The process took 2 hrs and 40 minutes, only 10 of which was me filling out the ballot.  I basically waited in line for 2 and a half hours, then had to fill out paperwork, then had to vote by DRAWING A LINE ON A PIECE OF PAPER. 

C'mon.  Why aren't we voting electronically?  I am really into the electoral process and I'm in the unique position to have a work schedule that allows me to take a several hour block in the morning.  But normal people don't.  ...and there's not enough incentive for those that aren't absolutely involved.  Talk about suppression.  Who wants to go wait for hours?

If we trust online systems with out money, surely we can find a system that allows us to click a checkbox.

I agree.  With all the advances made in technology, why can't people vote from the privacy of their own homes? 

Electronic voting is scary as hell to me.  There needs to be physical evidence of each and every vote.

You know, you can always vote from home by requesting a mail in ballot.

The current electronic system, especially in Ohio, has major issues. There has to be a separate paper trail to ensure that hacking or programming does not change vote counts.
I would love to see it though.

Is this because not enough polling places,incompetent poll volunteers,too much verification stuff?

I'm just curious to where the hold up is?

I've heard of this,but never experienced it...Here the churches and school are where most people vote,even with ancient people volunteers to work the polls,I've never taken more than 15 minutes,most of which being actually voting...

Some quote price, others say due to problems such as hacking, etc. There are many different reasons polling statoins have not gone fully electronic.
I would imagine it will happen in the future.

 :-[ I meant the hold up,in why it takes two and half hours to vote,I thought early voting was supposed to help aleveate this type of problem.

I guess it also works for the question of why no electronic voting too.... :D

I was just curious why it took so long waiting...

The waiting is typically just for early voting as they have less places available. I have always voted on on election day. I get there about 15 minutes before they open (6:45) and am usually out by 7:15 or so during a president election. There is never a line there during general elections.

Since early voting has started I've never seen an excessive line during election day. Some ofthe early days are pretty bad although I have no idea what the wait time is.

I just saw on the news that 41% has done early voting in my county. I can't help but think that will make it pretty easy to vote on election day.

Electronic voting has several major issues that threaten to undermine the very foundation of a free and fair election. Reliability, verifiability, and security are all issues with electronic ballots. Allowing voting from home introduces the additional issue of anonymity. An individual should not be able to be coerced into voting in a specific manner.

I'd rather have they just simplified the paper ballots, restricting the national election to its own ballot (like is done in every other country who's system I've read about / seen). That would also significantly lower the margin of error, the risk of incorrect voting, the cost and duration of counting (and, especially, recounts).

I waited 20 minutes and took about 10 minutes to vote on Wednesday.  I had no problems.

When you say electronic voting it just doesn't mean voting online from your home. It can mean electronic voting booths at the polling places. I don't think we should have electronic/online voting just for the chance of voter fraud is ripe for the picking.

The way to resolve the electronic voting at the polls is you can vote electronically, but after you vote you get a "receipt" print out in duplicate...one that is kept as a paper record by the polls and one by the voter. It shouldn't have anything but the choices and an identifying vote ticket #.

I have lived and voted in pres election in four different states (MA, RI, MI, NY) and have never once waited more than 5 mins in line. 

They could also add biometrics to add another layer of security.

That's what I was thinking.  Gotta punch in your social, get your fingerprints and your iris scanned.

That's not the risk, though. The problem is with the machines themselves. The vast majority of machines that have been used in REAL elections across the country have been shown to be "hackable", often by simply inserting a USB device. What is done then is that votes are switched. Without a voter-verified paper trail (and subsequent testing), there's no way to prove the tampering. Note: I'm not saying any machine has  been compromised while in service or affected election outcomes.

I'm perfectly fine with using electronic voting machines to enable speedier (and more accurate) counting of votes, but there ALWAYS has to be a paper trail (and such a paper trail is, of course, worthless unless it is voter-verified).

Oh, and I'd rather NOT have the national fingerprint, iris-scan, DNA or whatever database that would be required for those additional layers of biometric "security".

The voting booth should just be dummy touch screens with no input available. Only a wired connection to an onsite hub. You can't really hack a dummy screen.

That's exactly what I was thinking.  And the onsite hub should be under heavy guard at all times.

Should just be able to vote online. If I can do my taxes, pay bills, and other things online I should be able to vote online.

Wait until election day if you don't want to wait in lines. This is a given in my district. The drawing lines must be something even more localized be cause my ballot does not looke remotely close to what you described. I fill in ovals. I also am opposed to any suggestions of voting from home or even electronic voting for the lack of paper trails as well as the issue of security. It just isn't reliable enough. Home voting is just a crazy idea. How do you verify who logged on and cast the vote?

I cannot fathom why anyone goes early (for those who don't know we live in the same county).

Why can't people fill out their ballot while waiting in line, and then just drop it off when they get there.  The lines will move much quicker.

I also think that early voting is going to be far worse than election day.  I'll let you know tomorrow...

Because the lines are for checking and getting your ballott. I would fear security issues if official ballots are being handed out and filled before individuals have checked in.

You wouldn't be able to submit your ballot without checking in.  They mail the ballot to you ahead of time.  There's no reason why people can't show up to the place with their ballot already filled out and just wait in line to hand it in.

We have absentee,but no early voting here,so I have no idea how it works,is why I was confused....

Just asking the question,about the security...

How would you get the biometrics passed,with the small government,anti big brother,encroaching on my privacy,Dale Dribbles of the world,and the plain tinfoil hat crazies people? (all those separate groups,I'm not name calling anyone)

I also think it would be a gerry mandering type issue,one side claiming voter fraud is rampant,the other calling it voter suppression.

I could also see it being a political football,scare tactic, Who controls the data,who gets to see it,etc,etc.Law enforcement wanting to use it as a national data base of fingerprints...I see it in today's political world it's a pandora's box...

I like the idea of mailing the ballot to you,then checking it in when dropping it off.I can see the concerns about it,cost,security,etc...

I just learned we have a mail in option in Florida but that this option has the highest number or ballots that do not count because of sloppy signatures.

Actually other than a few chain emails nobody is actually claiming voter fraud is rampant.  The claim is that without a more burdonsome id claims, voter fraud is potentially possible.   

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/true-vote-intimidating-minority-voters-polls/story?id=17618823#.UJf1-8XA_Aw (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/true-vote-intimidating-minority-voters-polls/story?id=17618823#.UJf1-8XA_Aw)

I thought of this story that my local news regurgitated a couple times this weekend...

Modified to add,I'm not claiming rampant fraud,nor suppression...I do think there is random pockets of both,that do get blown up...most are probably nothing...

As far as online voting ... there is an article on CNN discussing this. I think one of the things mentioned is very important and it's in regards to hacking. First off, people don't even have to hack the system. They can hack people's personal computers which really is the least protected. I mean ... just look at how much damage "Anonymous" has been able to get away with.

Until we "know" the system is safe I disagree with online voting. The outcome is too important.

Another problem with electronic touch screen voting is my bet is it will make lines LONGER not shorter. 

My ballot was paper and fill - in the dots similiar to standardized testing except it was all in one (no sperate answer key).  This allows the votes to be counted electronicly, but this also results in a paper trail for recounts.

Today there was about 100 booths to vote in and longer lines than there was for the state primary.  (Still only took about 15 mins).  For the primary there was about 15 booths.  It would not be very expensive or hard to expand the number of booths to 125.  (after that they would need a bigger room, but that too would no be too hard as the place has another large room and they could split the voting).

However, while the booths which is nothing more than a table with privacy sides could easily and inexpensively add more.  If we went to touch screens those would be very expensive for each one.  And cash strapped towns and cities are unlikely to buy enough for the once every four years big election. 

It would have taking me about the same amount of time to do a touch screen menu as it did for me to fill in the dots so there would be little to no time saving on the per person level.