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  Do electronic voting machines improve the voting process?

This site presents in a simple, nonpartisan pro-con format, responses to the core question "Do electronic voting machines improve the voting process?" We have divided questions about the topic into the issues and sub-issues listed below.

General
 Electronic Voting Machines Compared to Other Voting Systems
 Help America Vote Act of 2002

Manufacturers
 Private Influence on Public Affairs
 Political Ties

Software
 Hacking, Fraud, and Security
 Open Source vs. Proprietary Code
 Ballot Definition

Hardware
 Physical Tampering
 Machine Reliability

Tabulation
 Security of Vote Totals
 Reporting Results
 Accuracy in Recording Voter Intention

Verification
 Audits and Recounts
 Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails
 Voter Anonymity

Testing
 Types of Testing
 Standards
 Testing the Proper Equipment

Cost
 Initial and Long-Term Costs Electronic Voting Machines
 Cost Comparison of Electronic Voting Machines vs. Optical Scan Machines

Accessibility
 Voter Usability
 Disabled Voters and Language Minorities
 Poll Worker Training and Preparedness


NEWS AND NOTICES
(archived after 30 days)

8/26/2008 - NEW: ProCon.org received four more media references in the last 30 days.

Archived News and Notices (archived after 30 days)

[Editor's Note: Throughout this website, the term 'electronic voting machines' refers to direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines and not optical-scan machines. Although optical-scan machines use an electronic reader to tabulate the vote totals, voters mark their selections on a paper ballot and are not directly recording their votes into the machine.]