Voting is a moronic process.

[mboss]

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.

[Landshark]

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.

[Cathal]

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.

[Phishfan]

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?

[Phishfan]

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.

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

[Brian Fein]

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...

[Phishfan]

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.

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.

[Brian Fein]

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.

[bsfins]

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...

[Phishfan]

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.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

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

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.   

[bsfins]

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...

[CF DolFan]

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.

Security researchers don't think those concerns are merely theoretical. Michael Coates, chair of the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and director of security assurance at Firefox maker Mozilla, says hackers will attack anything worth hacking.
"It's guaranteed that such a system [online voting] would be attacked, for sure," Coates says. "All important systems, from financial to government, face skilled hackers. There are security flaws in every system; it's a matter of how you detect and respond to them."

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/06/technology/innovation/online-voting-election/index.html?hpt=hp_t2_6

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

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.