VOTING TECHNOLOGY
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Presentation Transcript
VOTING TECHNOLOGY • Paper ballots used universally into 20th century • 1930s onwards • new technology available • long (and complex) ballots • Lever machines • e.g., New York, Alabama
VOTING TECHNOLOGY (cont.) • 1950s • Punch cards machines • 1960s • Optical scan machines • 2000s • Touch-screen (“ATM”) machines
Caltech-MIT Voting Technology Project (post-2000) • Assessment of reliability of different voting technologies • Rate of apparently spoiled ballots • undervotes vs. overvotes • does voter get feedback? • Reliability • Paper • Optical touch-screen ??? • Lever • Punch card
Why does U.S have bigger voting technology problems than other countries? • “long ballot” • Multiple offices (plus propositions, etc.) • Overlapping districts • Need rapid counting at precinct level • U.K. vs. typical U.S. election cycle • UK: MP, local councillor [MEP, MSP etc.] • US: President, US Senate, US House, Governor etc.; state Senator; state House; county executive or mayor, county &/or city council, school board, state &/or local judges etc; other offices; bond issues; propositions; initiatives [and primary &/or runoff elections]
Other Issues • Absentee ballots • Early Voting • Mail ballots (Oregon)
Election Administration • Prescribed by state law (with increasing but still secondary federal regulation) • Administered by counties, often with variation from county to county • Episodic tasks, heavily dependent on more or less volunteer labor • Often party organizations are involved • Checks and balances?