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Touch-screen voting imperils basic rights |
I take strong issue with The Sun's editorial "Annapolis whirlwind"
(April 4), which supports the status quo of electronic voting machines
in Maryland.
The touch-screen machines offer no paper trail and have a history of malfunctions and security breaches.
A bill passed by the House of Delegates calls for a one-year lease of
optical-scan machines, which would read voting cards cast at each
precinct.
In the event of a recount, the cards could be hand-counted. This would
act as a hard-copy check of the machines, and provide the ability to
audit their performance.
The House bill was passed unanimously ("House passes paper ballot bill," March 10).
Citizen activists are now working hard to get a companion bill adopted
by the state Senate with the identical language (to avoid a conference
committee and get the bill to the governor's desk).
But if no bill is passed, the touch-screen voting machines will
continue to be used, and they offer no ability to conduct a recount and
little safeguard of the most important right of citizens: the right to
cast a ballot, and have that ballot counted as it was cast.
Christopher Bush
Catonsville
The writer is a member of TrueVote Maryland.
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