Making Votes Count
The state of California is moving ahead with a ban on electronic voting machines that don’t provide a verifiable paper trail. Even though the disabled, the visually impaired, and many election officials love the machines’ easy interfaces, independent studies have shown that the systems are easy to tamper with once the votes are in.
Current polls showing Kerry and Bush nearly tied, meaning that November 2004 could look a lot like November 2000–only without any possibility for a recount. Unless California’s ban catches on, the numerous localities that use electronic voting machines made by Diebold Election Systems will have to accept the initially reported results as final. It doesn’t help matters any that Diebold Inc. CEO Walden O’Dell is a generous GOP contributor who said in a fund-raising letter that he was “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president” in 2004. Voter confidence was also shaken when activists publicized internal Diebold documents that showed machines used in Florida contributed to “minus votes” for Al Gore in 2000. The president of Diebold Election Systems, Bob Urosevich, recently admitted that machines used in California’s presidential primary were flawed.
With the election less than a year away, Americans need reassurance that they–not faulty machines–will be picking the president.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.
“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.
What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines
New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.
Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats
With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure
Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation
From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.