Most counties here in Texas now use electronic voting machines, and most of them don't have a paper readout so the voter can check their votes (and to provide a way to recount those votes in case of a machine malfunction). That's a problem, and voters know it. A new poll shows that voters don't really trust the electronic machines. They believe it makes voting less safe. Only 36% say those machines making voting more safe, while 56% say they make voting less safe -- a significant gap of 20 points.
Voters do trust paper ballots though. About 68% say paper ballots make voting more safe, while only 26% say they make voting less safe -- an even larger gap of 42 points! Obviously, going to paper ballots would increase voter trust in our electoral system.
I understand why counties like the electronic machines. It makes counting the votes much faster and workers don't have to spend most of the night counting votes in a large precinct. But there are some compromises to be had.
We could use a paper ballot that can be electronically counted (and recounted by hand if there is any doubt as to the electronic count). We can also require electronic machines to have a paper printout. That printout could also be counted by hand if there is a recount (or question of machine malfunction).
County officials are right to try and find a way to speed up vote counting, but they have gone too far in many cases -- and that is hurting voter trust in our electoral system (which is necessary in a democracy). We need to outlaw any voting machines that don't at least have a paper printout.
The charts above reflect the results of a NPR / Marist Poll -- done between September 5th and 9th of a national sample of 949 adults, with a 3.6 point margin of error.
