And yes, the scanning-paper-ballots method is, as I understand it, the one that’s currently the frontrunner to replace the machines in Connecticut. You can physically see what you wrote and get a new ballot if necessary, and the machine rejects it if you filled it out wrong accidentally. As I understand the technology, it’s also less easy to hack than the completely computerized systems. I can’t remember the provisions made for visually impaired voters – some kind of automated phone system, I think? – but I know they exist, as opposed to the current machines, which require another person to assist you.

Absentee voting does also seem nice, yes. Apparently in WA, anyone can request them – not a bad idea.

I was pleased to discover that voting in my precinct here is done the “old-fashioned” way – we were handed paper ballots and black pens, and we filled in ovals to indicate our votes and then fed the ballot into a machine which (I suspect) scanned our votes from both sides and then stored the paper ballot. And there was a sign indicating that you could request another ballot if you made a mistake on yours.

There are plenty of other problems with the system here, such as how difficult it is for a third-party candidate to get on the ballot (the article I read indicated that for a state-wide election, something like 1 in 73 North Carolina residents has to sign a petition). Your experience, though, will make me wary the next time I change states. More and more people are voting absentee, and I might do that if I think it’s more reliable than voting in person.

Let us know if you get any response to your letter.