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September 5, 2008 11:42:20 AM CDT

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States Brace for Election's Tech Snarls

Posted Jul 21, 08 6:46 AM CDT in US,  Technology,  Politics 

(Newser) – As states prepare for millions of voters using new ballot systems in November, many officials are expecting serious logistical headaches across the country. About half of all voters will use different machines than the last presidential election. Most voters—up from 49% in 2006—will be using paper ballots that will be scanned as states drop problematic and controversial touch-screen equipment.

New machines and an unusually high expected voter turnout, combined with a shortage of experienced staff to man the polls on Election Day, could spell long lines and lost votes in many areas. “In previous elections, the question has been, ‘Will the system work for each voter?’ But this year the real question is whether the system can handle the load of all these voters," said one expert.

Source New York Times

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A Florida Division of Election employee tests one of Sarasota County's touch-screen voting machines during an audit in Sarasota, Fla. Many states are shifting away from touch-screen voting machines.   (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, File)
Charles Archie, center right, helps Temple students Tom Rickert, left, and Ryan McCool, and Obama representative Aldie Loubier, right, inspect voting machines in Philadelphia, Friday, April 11, 2008.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Brenda Green exits after casting her ballot in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008. Many voting experts are worried that new voting systems could prove problematic.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Duell Hinson carries his ballot for the primary as he walks past voting booths in Unionville, N.C., Tuesday, May 6, 2008. Many experts are anxious about states' preparedness for the general election.   (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
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election  • voting  • paper ballots  • touch-screen voting  • Election Day


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