Federal panel proposes use of voting machines with independent auditing capacity

Yesterday a federal panel approved a proposal suggesting that states should use electronic voting machines that have the capacity for independent verification of result. This is, I believe, the panel that the NIST draft report I mentioned the other day was prepared for.

The proposal says that when states are procuring new voting gear that they buy stuff that include this verification in their design. What this means, in the short term, is that they’re looking for machines that provide a paper trail, literally. This is also something that I’ve suggested more than once. It’s simple, it’s easily available, and the perception is that it’s a valid verification. The only reason a designer wouldn’t include it now is that they’re being obstinate. Get over it, fellow techies, and put the paper tape in the box.