Voting Machines ProCon.org

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The following are all Issues, Sub-issues and Questions. Collectively they map the
content supporting our core question: "Do electronic voting machines improve the voting process?"

1. General A. Electronic Voting Machines Compared to Other Voting Systems Q1. What are electronic voting machines? Q2. What alternatives to electronic voting machines are currently used in the United States? Q3. Are slot machines more reliable than electronic voting machines? Q4. Did electronic voting machines work well in the November 7, 2006 General Election? B. Help America Vote Act of 2002 Q1. What is the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 and how does it relate to electronic voting machines? Q2. Does the Help America Vote Act of 2002 in effect mandate the use of electronic voting machines? 2. Manufacturers A. Private Influence on Public Affairs Q1. Who are the companies that manufacture electronic voting machines? Q2. Is it appropriate for private electronic voting machine manufacturers to facilitate public elections? Q3. Is it appropriate for former election officials to work for electronic voting machine manufacturers? B. Political Ties Q1. Do electronic voting machine manufacturers have ties to a particular political party or candidates from a particular political party? Q2. Does the use of electronic voting machines give an advantage to a particular political party or a candidate from a particular political party? 3. Software A. Hacking, Fraud, and Security Q1. Are electronic voting systems vulnerable to hacking? Q2. Could electronic voting machine software be programmed to alter the outcome of an election? Q3. Are electronic voting machines more susceptible to fraud than other types of voting machines? B. Open Source vs. Proprietary Code Q1. What is electronic voting machine source code? Q2. Should source code for electronic voting machines be publicly available? C. Ballot Definition Q1. What is ballot definition? Q2. Is there an effective method in place to assure the accuracy of ballot definition files? 4. Hardware A. Physical Tampering Q1. Are there sufficient procedures in place to guard against physical tampering with electronic voting machines? Q2. Is the practice of electronic voting machine "sleepovers" appropriate? B. Machine Reliability Q1. Are electronic voting machines mechanically reliable? Q2. If there is a power failure during an election conducted on electronic voting machines will voting still be possible? 5. Tabulation A. Security of Vote Totals Q1. How are vote totals tabulated in electronic voting machines? Q2. Are votes cast on electronic voting machines stored securely? Q3. Is transmitting votes from individual polling stations to the central tabulation center a secure process? B. Reporting Results Q1. Do electronic voting machines provide more rapid results than other types of voting systems? C. Accuracy in Recording Voter Intention Q1. Do electronic voting machines accurately capture the intent of the voter? Q2. What are residual votes? Q3. Do electronic voting machines prevent residual votes? Q4. Is it possible for one person to vote multiple times in the same election on an electronic voting machine?

6. Verification A. Audits and Recounts Q1. What is the difference between an audit and a recount? Q2. Is it possible to have a meaningful recount from an electronic voting machine? Q3. Do electronic voting machines allow for meaningful audits? B. Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails Q1. What is a voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT)? Q2. Should electronic voting machines have voter verified paper audit trails? Q3. Does the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) mandate voter verified paper audit trails? Q4. Do voter verified paper audit trails disenfranchise disabled voters and language minorities? Q5. Do voter verified paper audit trails increase the likelihood of an electronic voting machine malfunctioning? C. Voter Anonymity Q1. Are votes cast on electronic voting machines stored in a manner that preserves voter anonymity? 7. Testing A. Types of Testing Q1. What are the stages of testing electronic voting machines? Q2. What is the difference between qualification testing and certification testing? Q3. Is qualification testing conducted by independent and accredited entities? Q4. Is Logic and Accuracy testing an effective method of assuring that electronic voting machines are operating properly before an election? Q5. Is parallel testing an effective method of assuring the accuracy of electronic voting machines? B. Standards Q1. What standards are used to test electronic voting machines? C. Testing the Proper Equipment Q1. Is there a method in place to make sure the electronic voting machines used by voters on Election Day are fully certified and identical to the machines that were tested? Q2. What is a software 'patch'? Q3. If a software 'patch' is installed, are electronic voting machines re-tested prior to being used on Election Day? 8. Accessibility A. Voter Usability Q1. Do voters who use electronic voting machines find them easy to use? Q2. Do voters have confidence that electronic voting machines record votes accurately? Q3. Do senior citizens feel comfortable using electronic voting machines? B. Disabled Voters and Language Minorities Q1. Are electronic voting machines accessible to disabled voters? Q2. Are electronic voting machines the best way to provide access to language minorities? C. Poll Worker Training and Preparedness Q1. Do poll workers receive adequate training to facilitate elections conducted on electronic voting machines? Q2. Do poll workers have sufficient support mechanisms to deal with unanticipated technical issues with electronic voting machines on Election Day? 9. Cost A. Initial and Long-Term Costs Electronic Voting Machines Q1. How much does it cost to purchase an electronic voting machine? Q2. What are the ongoing and long-term costs associated with electronic voting machines? B. Cost Comparison of Electronic Voting Machines vs. Optical Scan Machines Q1. Is it less expensive to conduct an election using electronic voting machines compared to optical scan voting systems?