Voting Systems

Punched Card Voting

First Used 1964, DeKalb County, Georgia

By 1970, widely used in many states, sold by IBM

By 2000, 31% use in United States, the dominant system!

Since 2000, use is declining rapidly

 

Advantages over Lever Machines

    Auditable -- punched card is a paper ballot

    Inexpensive mechanisms at precinct

    Fast computerized tabulation at county office

    Compatible with postal voting

    Perceived to be "state of the art" technology

 

Disadvantages

    Chad problem well understood in 1980's
        No good way to evaluate borderline cases
        Handling ballots may change votes

    Voter cannot easily verify correct punching

    Need for pre-election testing not obvious
        Not done properly in Chicago in 2002

    Handicapped accessibility not obvious