A textbook example of how to use facts to bolster opinions. Smith’s thesis---a pessimistic view of the potential problems in this election---is openly stated at the start; but note how she frames her case. Problem One: possible tampering. She presents a compact, specific delineation of the problems that experts have noted. Problem Two: human error, abetted by government underfunding of the Help America Vote Act. (Echoes of No Child Left Behind, anyone?) You’ll note that Buster Soaries is the “former” chair of the Election Administration Commission, no doubt not without reason. Then Smith reprises Problem One, with the difficulty of making the new systems tamper-proof within the unrealistic time-frame required, and Problem ... More »

Pretty good reporting from this editorial intern at Harper's magazine. Keep an eye on Genevieve Smith, she seems headed for a fine career in journalism.

As an election judge, I've had a front-row seat to all the problems associated with the newfangled methods. While my state of Wisconsin has quite luckily escaped all the maladies lik Florida's "hanging chads" and what-not, I nonetheless get the heebie-jeebies at a possilble scenario straight out of the eighties movie "WarGames"!

With the exception of expanding the acronym DRE incorrectly (should be Direct Recording Electronic), this article gives an exceptional "big picture" overview of e-voting. Well researched and written, it feels more like news analysis than opinion.