EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Heleni Thayre
Organization : | MA Citizens for Voting Integrity
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 6.8
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Comment : | [Please note that a VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) is less accurate than an original hand marked ballot or VVPB (such as that counted by optical scan voting machines or by hand) because: a) A VVPAT is not an original document so errors may occur associated with the recording process. (Errors may always occur in the transcription from an original the voters marking action - to a copy the machine transcription.) The unnecessary complexity involved in creating a VVPAT allows opportunities for error and/or fraud that are avoided by using "voter-generated" paper ballots. b) The voter is often 4 not vigilant in verifying the record marked by the machine. In that case a VVPAT may not accurately reflect voter intent. c) Unless the VVPAT has the same format as the voting screen the voter cannot process the information quickly and easily and is prone to errors in verification. Note also that some VVPATs are not of permanent quality ink and paper and thus do not conform to the requirements of HAVA. HAVA requires a manual audit capacity, i.e., an audit of the voting system conducted "by hand," - such as a hand count of ballots which has been the historic gold standard for recounts in elections. Not all VVPATs can be readily and economically hand-counted.