During this year’s voting, the vast majority of states used outdated voting machines perilously close to the end of their projected lifespan. Back in April, we warned that 42 states use machines that are at least a decade old. Given that a high percentage of these machines have projected lifespans of between 10 and 15 years, we argued something needs to be done soon to prevent a real crisis. We also pointed out, though, that the fact that the machines are aging does not mean they will all break down at once. Fortunately, on Election Day, most Americans were able to vote on machines that functioned properly, though in a few areas like Detroit, problems were widespread. In addition, election officials were well-prepared. Keenly aware of the potential problems associated with using antiquated equipment during a high-turnout election, they were generally able to keep voting going smoothly when problems did arise. Still, the failures that we did see serve as a warning of how bad things could get if we don’t replace our aging voting equipment soon. In a 2010 report, one state’s Department of Legislative Services found that the “nature and frequency of equipment failure beyond the manufacturer’s life expectancy cannot be predicted.” As machines approach the 15-year mark, we are likely to see progressively worse and more frequent problems.
Machine problems had already cropped up at the start of this year’s early voting. Many difficulties tended to affect paperless computerized voting machines, or direct recording electronic machines (DREs), on which voters make their selection on a touchscreen, with a button or a dial. In Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, early voters reported calibration problems, or “vote flipping.” It’s a problem unique to touchscreen machines, where a voter intends to pick one candidate, but another shows up as her choice.
In Shelby County, Tennessee, 30 smart cards failed, making it impossible to pull up the correct electronic ballot on voting machines. In Hays County, Texas, voters waited for over an hour because a “faulty cable connection” caused voting machines to fail on the second day of early voting.
Voting machine problems persisted through Election Day. Reports of malfunction came from several voting locations. Calibration errors were reported in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. In one Utah county, due to widespread memory card failure, 75 percent of the county’s nearly 400 voting machines failed. In the Detroit area, optical scan machines would not accept ballots.
Full Article: America’s aging voting machines managed to survive another election.