Oprah Winfrey spoke on her talk show about the importance of early voting. She urged voters to double check that their information is correct and that they know which precinct to go to. She went on to say that her presidential vote was not initially recorded. Winfrey had to go back to re-record her vote.
Often, voters find out when it is too late that they made a mistake when voting. Our country’s current voting system is flawed.
Federal Judge Harvey Bartle III has ordered state officials in Pennsylvania to provide emergency paper ballots if half of the voting machines are not working. Bartle said, “[T]here is a real danger that a significant number of machines will malfunction. [This is] likely to cause unacceptably long lines on Nov. 4.”
Voter rights violations are popping up across the country. Much of this is due to miscommunication between voting officials and voters. Voters are not given information about voting regulations, rules and procedures in a way that is honest and easy to understand.
In some states the “straight party” ticket does not include the presidential candidates. As a result, voters may miss a crucial vote. Some voters are turned away because of issues with names. If you think there may be confusion about your legal name, make sure to check with your polling location.
If machines are breaking down or causing problems, lines become longer and people become frustrated. For those who have to return to work that day, a long line may be a deterrent from voting.
Sarah P. Everett, of Rice University, conducted a study titled “The Usability of Electronic Voting Machines and How Votes Can Be Changed Without Detection.” The study — which is available in its entirety at fec.gov/hava/hava — provides information about different voting methods and their effectiveness, including paper ballots, punch cards and lever machines.
Everett’s report explains that The Help America Vote Act of 2002 made funding available for updated voting equipment. As a result, many states purchased direct recording electronic (DRE) systems.
In a video from a West Virginia polling location, a polling official demonstrates electronic voting. He shows how to use touch-screen voting, demonstrating what would happen if a machine were “out of calibration.” In the video, the vote is flipped from Barack Obama to Chuck Baldwin. The polling official says that the solution, if this does happen, is to “recalibrate” the machine. This recalibration could be necessary several times a day.
The basics of daily electronic usage tell us that a machine should not need such recalibration several times a day.
If you’re confused, it’s OK. I’m confused, too. This should be much easier for the average voter to understand. Common sense would tell us to have a universal voting standard for all 50 states. There are different voting methods, regulations and rules in the various states, though. This causes confusion, especially for young and first-time voters.
It is impossible to address all of the voter rights abuses that are happening as a result of a faulty system. There needs to be a major reform before we can have an honest election.
One way to influence this reform is to vote on paper ballots. We live in an age of instant gratification. Although it is exciting to gather around the television on election night to see the results, I would prefer waiting longer if it meant that votes were counted in an honest, accurate manner.
Voting on paper seems slightly primitive, but is effective. Voting machines leave far too much room for error. Because of the secret nature of voting — and the risk of vote selling — these machines are made to work without leaving a paper trail. This means that once you vote, you’re at the mercy of being told what the machine has recorded. Paper voting ensures an actual record of the votes counted while still maintaining privacy.
If you are voting on Nov. 4, make sure you know where and how to vote. It is unfortunate that basic voting regulations are not made explicit to voters, but it is a fact we must face.
As a form of protection, voters are encouraged to use video to document their voting experiences. More information is available at videothevote.org.
Wandie Kabule is a senior journalism student and a contributing writer for the Daily Forty-Niner.
