Voting Machine Controversy

On Election Day 2008, numerous reports of problems with voting machines came in from across the U.S., leading to very long lines at polling places in several states. Breakdowns were reported in major cities, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Newark, New Jersey, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Some cities opted to switch to paper ballots after machines broke down. The Election Protection Coalition said they had received nearly 11,000 reports of malfunctions in the first few hours after polls opened for the general election.^{1 2}

Fast Facts

1. Nearly 60 percent of states in U.S. use optical scan voting machines³
2. Optical scans read paper ballots marked by hand by voters
3. Proponents of current electronic voting machines claim that it is easier to falsify results using paper ballots
4. Reports have indicated some touch screen voting machines are particularly vulnerable to "vote-flipping"⁴
5. Some believe the machines could be rigged to favor a particular candidate⁴
6. Homemade or common mini-bar keys have been used to open electronic voting machines
7. Electronic voting machines have become a preferred method of vote tabulation since the "hanging chad" controversy in the 2000 presidential election

California Flaws

In July 2007, state commissioned researchers in California found software and physical security flaws in electronic voting machines made by Diebold Election Systems, Hart InterCivic, and Sequoia Voting Systems.⁵

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