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Recently, in the race for instant results and higher productivity, there has been a push for states to adopt electronic voting procedures. While the general movement towards quicker and in most case more easily verifiable results is good in theory, if not properly regulated it could prove disastrous for our national elections and Democracy as a whole. In particular, the adoption of direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting systems is the most objectionable.

DRE voting machines allow voters to vote using touchscreens or buttons, store the votes as encrypted information, and then tabulate the votes using a computer program. In the 2004 election, 28.9% of voters used a DRE voting machine when they voted. The idea of votes being stored and counted all inside a computer with no option for manual verification is a dangerous one—anyone who owns a computer knows that computers are not infallible, nor are they unhackable, as has been proven by multiple groups to prove a point. While the DRE voting machines provide ease of use and ease of results, there must be precautions taken for manual certification of votes, should need be. In today’s decidedly close elections, every precaution must be taken to ensure that every vote is cast and counted, and done so correctly. Therefore, DRE voting machines must be abolished and replaced with machines that, although allow voting and tabulation electronically, also print out a paper ballot for every voter that will be turned in, wooden box style, and used as the final say in the event that a recount is needed. We must take precautions to protect our country and not be blindsided by the ease and glamour of technology every step we take.

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