Paper Ballots, High Turnout May Delay Calif. Returns

One-third of state abandons machines
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 5, 2008 2:30 PM CST
Paper Ballots, High Turnout May Delay Calif. Returns
A paper ballot used in today's primary in San Diego, California   (Getty Images)

Super Tuesday's biggest prize may take the longest to award, CNN reports. One-third of California's counties have reverted to paper balloting for today’s primary, and the ballots may not be counted by tomorrow. Electronic machines were stashed over reliability concerns, and excitement over the race has generated some 700,000 more registered voters than in 2004.

The country’s most populous state, home to 370 Democratic and 170 Republican delegates, is also waiting on millions of absentee and early ballots, which are all due today. Meanwhile, five states are using paperless touch-screen voting, prompting outrage from voting rights advocates worried that the lack of a paper trail would make recounts impossible, the New York Times reports. (More paper ballots stories.)

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