Florida Governor Charlie Crist says his state should dump the touch-screen voting systems that were installed after the disputed 2000 presidential race in favor of more reliable optical-scanning machines. Voters would mark up a paper ballot and be able to verify their vote on the spot with a paper receipt.
"You go to an ATM machine, you get some kind of a record. You go to the gas station, you get a record. If there's a need for a recount, it's important to have something to count," said Crist. The governor plans to ask the Florida legislature for $20 million to replace the touch-screen machines.
The current machines provide no paper backup, and have been plagued by irregularities and scandal in recent elections. EFF and a coalition of voting integrity groups, representing Sarasota County voters, have filed suit in state court in Tallahassee asking for a re-vote in Florida's 13th congressional district. In a high-profile battle over former Rep. Katherine Harris' seat, the result was decided by 363 votes, yet over 18,000 ballots cast on Sarasota County's e-voting machines registered no vote in the race, an exceptional anomaly in the State.
To find out more about EFF's work defending your right to vote, visit our E-voting page.