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information is [
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].) Typically, a voter-verifiable machine prints out the choices that
are being tallied. Each voter has a chance to review the printout, and then deposits
it in an old-fashioned ballot box. If there is a problem with the electronic
equipment, the printouts can be counted by hand.
As this topic is written, this concept is strongly resisted both by manufacturers of
electronic voting machines and by their customers, the cities and counties that run
elections. Manufacturers are reluctant to increase the cost of the machines because
they may not be able to pass the cost increase on to their customers, who tend to
have tight budgets. Election officials fear problems with malfunctioning printers,
and some of them have publicly stated that they actually prefer equipment that
eliminates bothersome recounts.
What do you think? You probably use an automatic bank teller machine to get cash
from your bank account. Do you review the paper record that the machine issues?
Do you check your bank statement? Even if you don't, do you put your faith in
other people who double-check their balances, so that the bank won't get away
with widespread cheating?
At any rate, is the integrity of banking equipment more important or less important
than that of voting machines? Won't every voting process have some room for
error and fraud anyway? Is the added cost for equipment, paper, and staff time
reasonable to combat a potenti
ally slight risk of malfunction and fraud? Computer
scientists cannot answer these
questionsȌan informed society must make these
tradeoffs. But, like all professionals, they have an obligation to speak out and give
accurate testimony about the capabilities and limitations of computing equipment.
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