Maryland is planning on returning to paper ballots for the 2010 election cycle.

Are you on touchscreens now? We've had the scan-tron kind of paper ballots for years, and I can't see why any place wouldn't see it as the best of both worlds. All the advantages of computerized systems for instant counting, with the actual original marked-by-the-voter's-own-hand ballot right there if a backup is needed.

Yeah. There was a big overhaul to get the whole state on touchscreen, with no paper trail...and now they're chucking it. Apparently, they'll still be paying for the touchscreens years after they stop using them.

I'm all for it.

We've had the scan-tron kind of paper ballots for years, and I can't see why any place wouldn't see it as the best of both worlds. All the advantages of computerized systems for instant counting, with the actual original marked-by-the-voter's-own-hand ballot right there if a backup is needed.

I have read that this is the system that is really catching on right now. I've had that system for years and I really like it.

I think that's what we're moving to.

A nice little anecdote for some of you worried about Prop 8 here in California:

You might be heartened to know that one of my staff, who is registered to vote for the first time since he became a citizen (we talk a lot of politics at work, so he overhears) is a fundamentalist Christian. He's a sweet guy, pretty bright, but tends to make up his mind about stuff with a naive approach. I do know he's voting for Obama, and yesterday he asked me about the wording of Prop 8 (I had printed out the voter guides for a bunch of people in the office who had registered late and not yet received the guides). I have to be really careful, because I am his manager, and I also don't want to offend his religious opinions. Anyway, he asked me "why, if the CA Supreme Court had already decided this, it was on the ballot - wouldn't it just go back and forth every 4 years?" So I showed him the wording of the proposition, and how it would actually amend the State constitution. His response astounded me: "well just because I believe marriage is for man and wife, doesn't mean I think the constitution should be changed. It's not like gays are trying to say that marriage should only be between gay people, right? Because that would be wrong. So if they're not trying to take away my rights, why do I care about taking away theirs?"

I almost fainted with joy. And maybe he's not the only one.

AFAIK, my district is still using paper ballots with the old-fashioned kaTHUNK lever machines.

If we ever switch to an electronic system, my one request is that it makes that noise when you press the VOTE button.

I miss the kaTHUNK.

I never got a kaTHUNK (though I remember it from my parents voting.) First time I voted was the bweedloop.

The touch screens...I don't recall them making any noise. Maybe just a beep.

Oh! And you can handle way more people with each voting machine, since you don't need a machine for each voter -- given the role that unexpected lines have played in the last few cycles, that's huge even aside from the cost savings when gov'ts are having to buy new machines.

I am, apparently, in election technology fandom. And nobody's writing good fic.

I think that was one of the big drivers (cost & efficiency.) I've always had machine-per-person set up, so it'll be interesting to see the difference it makes. In 2010.