Evolution of Voting Technology Raises Security Questions

Since the ancient Greeks and Romans first cast votes by dropping clay marbles into pots, new technologies aimed at improving the voting process have emerged. Voting in the the United States has progressed from colored beans to all-electronic machines. As new technology solves old problems new questions and concerns inevitably occur.

Technology upgrades may be the answer to problems encountered during the 2000 presidential election, but the move toward electronic voting machines has raised new concerns among researchers, elected officials and activists. Questions about the reliability of some voting machines has led to a national debate over the conversion to new voting systems.

Charlottesville, Va., officials are claiming success in the implementation of an all-electronic voting system. Voters there are also enthusiastic, though with some reservations. Charlottesville's experience may be a harbinger of the opportunities and challenges electronic voting systems will provide to communities nationwide.

The Help America Vote Act was drafted to address voting problems that occurred during the 2000 presidential election. The bill's sponsors hope that the standards it requires from state and local governments will rid the U.S. voting system of uncertainties cause by punch card voting machines and the now infamous "chads" they produce.