If we can't trust electronic voting, why should we trust electronic registration? Just asking...

[cyberpj]

Calio: Paper voting backup is likely
Machines probably will need to be set up to record votes on paper as a backup for electronic data tabulations
By PATRICK JACKSON, The News Journal
Posted Thursday, February 8, 2007 at 4:50 pm

DOVER -- A new electronic voter registration system will cut the odds that people signing up to vote at Division of Motor Vehicles locations around the state get lost in the bureaucratic shuffle, Election Commissioner Frank Calio said today.

Calio also told members of the Joint Finance Committee that the state will probably have to refit its voting machines in coming years to provide paper trails for recount backups.

Finalizing the electronic registration system and the election machine refits will both fall to Calio’s successor. Calio, who leaves his post in July, told committee members reviewing Minner’s $3.24 billion budget request he has no problems with the $4 million budget Minner is proposing for his department.

The new electronic registration system, which also would be put in place in county election offices and the commissioner’s office, will eliminate the possibility that data is lost between DMV and election offices. The roughly $10,400 system is being bought with money provided through (HAVA) the federal Helping Americans Vote Act.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070208/NEWS/70208046/1006/NEWS

[treestar]

1. As long as it's not required, it shouldn't be a problem

I read somewhere that Delaware's voting machines have a paper trail, too.

You can register electronically without a problem, I'd think, if you don't trust it you can check with them and register on paper if they've screwed it up.

What kills me is the U.S. District Court and BK court requiring access to the internet to be able to file. What nerve. They do that kind of crap with no oversight whatsoever - just make decrees. Talking to the guy running the District Court, I said, how can they just decree that, what if someone doesn't have access to a computer, he said. "It's nice to be a judge." His employers, the judges, apparently give him the idea they can order anything they want, the law be damned.

[m.standridge]

2. Not sure about the paper trail ballots in DE (2)--

I just found a file at DU that lists a total of 22 states plus DC as not having paper-backed electronic voting systems.
It's broken into two categories of non-paper-backed ballot states, one with states that have "legislation proposed, not enacted," and one with "states with no legislation proposed."
Delaware is in the latter category.
The total number of states without paper-backups in 2004-5, was 17. It's now 22, plus DC.
BTW, some Kerry states are (now) in one or the other of those categories:
Maryland
Pennsylvania
and Massachussets--all with "legislation proposed but not enacted";
and
Delaware
and Rhode Island--both with "no legislation proposed."
That's a total of 49 Electoral votes off Kerry's "official" tally of 252, or 203 Electoral votes left.
Meanwhile, Ohio HAS now set up paper-back-up ballots.
So have South Dakota, Montana and (semi) Arkansas.
Also, TN, FL, TX, VA, IA, and GA--all states various Democrats have carried under various circumstances, or which are "trending blue", all have legislation proposed.
I'm trying to be optimistic here. Louisiana, which might be Democratic turf in '08 under right circumstances, however, has no legislation proposed. Just one of several problems in that state, unfortunately, due to post-Katrina circumstances.
Don't know if this is a problem, but it might be.