Comments for Secretary of State: County's voting machines require additional security at http://lakeconews.com , comment 1 to 2 out of 2 comments http://lakeconews.com Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:37:21 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://lakeconews.com/content/view/1491/919/#comment-889 Secretary of State Debra Bowen did the right thing in decertifying electronic voting machines. It was a bold, but hardly surprising, move that has stirred a lot of criticism, particularly from county election officials who find themselves scrambling to be ready for the February election. But it was the right thing to do. Election officials are complaining about not having an alternative ready in time for February. It is a false argument, because every county in California already has an alternative method in place that is workable, leaves a paper trail, and has been used – by law – for years. It is time to institute state wide vote-by-mail (a.k.a. absentee voting). Nearly half of Californian\'s now vote-by-mail anyway. Why not just expand it to the other half? The mechanisms are already in place and are ready to be used. There would be a reduced need for new systems to replace the uncertified machines. Both major parties push voters to use this reliable and easy method of voting. A chief reason being that voters who vote by mail actually vote. The percentage of absentee ballots returned is much higher than polling place returns in most cases. The option to receive ballots in the mail on a permanent basis is offered on registration forms, and besides political parties, campaigns, unions, and other organizations are pushing vote-by-mail. It seems to me that most people want it, and it seems to be a better response to the decertification than panic. Many precincts in the state, and at least one county, are vote-by-mail only. It would not be difficult to quickly establish this throughout the state. There is no need to panic, only get to work. Get to work creating a system like they have in Oregon where everyone can vote from the comfort of their own home. You can do your part by doing what half of California already does. Become a permanent absentee voter. It\'s quick and easy and will help California avert an \"impending election crisis.\" - taxismom Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:19:36 +0100 http://lakeconews.com/content/view/1491/919/#comment-885 Lake County is VERY lucky that they don\'t rely entirely on the electronic voting system. Yes, it is probably going to cost some money to remedy the situation at hand but not nearly as much as it would/could have been with an entirely electronic system. What amazes me is that we have a paper backup system for every bank ATM and yet we can\'t get a paper back up system for every electronic voting machine? Sure sounds rather fishy, to me. I mean, how much would it take to get a printed receipt for every vote? You have to wonder why it wasn\'t thought of ahead of time and why it is taking so long to get implemented. It sounds like common sense, to me, to have a paper back up system for EVERY machine. - purplegirl Tue, 14 Aug 2007 08:35:12 +0100