E-voting Technology Faces Critical Test

Computerworld - The widespread use of controversial electronic voting machines could lead to chaos after next month’s midterm elections if, as some critics suggest, losing candidates and their supporters move to challenge the results.

Working under a vaguely worded federal mandate, election officials nationwide have replaced lever-activated machines, punch-card systems and other outmoded voting methods with electronic equipment.

Much of the criticism to date has been aimed at touch-screen systems, or direct recording electronic devices, which critics say aren’t rigorously tested and certified and are unreliable and prone to crashing. Critics also contend that DREs are inherently vulnerable to hacking and viruses.

“The potential definitely is there for fraud,” said Bruce Funk, former elections director for Emery County, Utah.

Electronic voting technology also has many backers, including top election officials in several states who contend that the systems are secure and accurate.

In fact, Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox laid no blame on e-voting systems for her loss in the state’s primary election in June. A spokesman said that Cox, whose office oversees elections, believes that the e-voting tally was accurate.

The nationwide dash to e-voting machines was prompted by passage of the federal Help America Vote Act in October 2002. Work on the legislation began shortly after the controversial 2000 election in Florida, which required several recounts before a victor was declared in the U.S. presidential race.

HAVA took effect on Jan. 1, 2006, and backers and critics agree that its e-voting machine provision faces its first major test in the Nov. 7 election, which is expected to include many close races.

Election Data Services Inc., a consulting firm in Washington, estimates that some 66 million voters — about 38% of registered voters nationwide — will be able to use e-voting machines to cast ballots on Nov. 7. In the 2004 election, such gear was available to about 29% of voters, the company said.

Early Glitches

In smaller tests of e-voting gear, glitches occurred in several primary elections nationwide this summer and fall, including contests in Maryland and Ohio. Many factors were cited for those problems, including a lack of training for election workers.

Some experts fear that if such problems continue next month, some results will be challenged in state and federal courts, which could lead to significantly increased voter skepticism of the e-voting process.

Some results have already been challenged: A group of California residents unsuccessfully sued Mikel Haas, San Diego County’s registrar of voters, after a tight special congressional election on June 6, because some election workers stored touch-screen machines in their homes, under seal, prior to the elections.