We shouldn't assume that paper ballots are infallible.

[Starks]

While a paper trail is certainly needed to counteract Diebold's bullshit, we need to realize that people are just as prone to mistakes as a flaky electronic voting machine.

[Joe3113]

I reckon voting should be done out in the open and counting done in front of a crowd.

[JamesT]

While a paper trail is certainly needed to counteract Diebold's bullshit, we need to realize that people are just as prone to mistakes as a flaky electronic voting machine.

I agree. The recount in New Hampshire seems to indicate the worst errors were human tabulation errors. And that considering volume of ballots, there is little difference in error rates between hand counting and machine counting. Unfortunately, because you tend to use hand counting in precincts with lower number of ballots to count, you cannot statistically say that there is a difference between the two counting methods.

Its cool to note, however, that Ron Paul got a few more votes on the recount of the Democratic Primary, up from 79 to 96 in Hillsborough County.

http://www.sos.nh.gov/recountresults.htm

[WilliamC]

Open source elections and transparency from the time the ballots are cast until the time the results are tallied and announced.

The only thing that should be secret is the actual casting of individual ballots

Transparency each step.

Anybody who wants to pay for it should be allowed to re-count the votes.