Are there going to be electronic voting machines used in your state this election?Are you for them or against them?

I have no idea if they will be used here (UIUC), but if they are, I’ll demand a paper ballot.

Diebold has done a craptacular job of making an electronic voting machine. Microsoft should be the ones to ju- oh wait. never mind…

It really doesn’t matter what method of voting is used, because in many locations, voting is rigged anyway, and besides, no matter who gets elected, within 3 months of taking office, almost everyone will be complaining about him, and the “lousy” job he’s doing.

I’ve never voted, and never will.

August 30, 2008, 9:46 PM EDT

We vote by mail. It is like a scantron form you fill out and mail in. So there is at least a paper trail.

And we have places to vote in person for the homeless or people that don’t get their ballot in the mail in time.

Can a homeless person vote? Where I am from, you can’t register to vote, unless you have a fixed address.

August 30, 2008, 10:40 PM EDT

The homeless can vote here.

New York still uses those ancient lever machines. I love them. It feels like you’re really doing something when you step behind a curtain, flip those switches, and pull the lever. Democracy in action.

Our government in their wisdom spent €150 million on machines two years ago. They did a test in a byelection and it did not go too well. They have been sitting in a warehouse since. Contact Dail Eireann and you could get them cheap.

Well, I live in Wonderland, and as you know, there have been a few problems with voting here in Florida. So,

“Florida has abruptly reversed course after the debacle of the 2006 election and banned electronic voting devices from all state elections. Florida was at the forefront of the electronic voting revolution after the disaster that was 2000 where Russia considered Florida a backwards democracy. However, since 2000 the machines themselves have been under scrutiny as being easily hackable, prone to error, and of questionable quality.

Florida is spending $26 million to replace the electronic machines with the optical scan type. Electronic machines will still be available for handicapped individuals as a result of Federal law mandating their use in elections. The eVoting machines cost Pinellas County alone $14 million in 2001 and there are a total of 15 counties in Florida using these machines. All of them will be scrapped (hopefully not to hackers) and replaced.”