Letter: Electronic voting and accuracy
Voters cast their ballots at Elwood Middle School in Elwood. (Nov. 5, 2013). Credit: Ed Betz
I suspect that most of those at polling places on Election Day did not say to themselves that they were proud to exercise their right to vote ["Election 2013," News, Nov. 6]. Instead, they asked themselves, "Why did they fix something that wasn't broken?"
If they thought more about it, they probably questioned why their tax dollars were used in an expensive boondoggle to equip thousands of polling places with electronic voting gear that is unwieldy and prone to failure.
My ballot was rejected for no apparent reason before the machine grudgingly accepted it after several attempts. The lever machines were pretty much foolproof and worked forever.
Was all of this necessary because of hanging chads in Florida? I think not. Someone is getting rich off this nonsense, and as usual we are paying the bill.
Robert Boyce, Hauppauge
I am surprised to see East Williston Village Mayor David E. Tanner say we should bring back the lever voting machines for local elections ["Lever voting is way to go," Opinion, Nov. 4].
While the lever machines bring back fond voting memories, with the curtains closing magically behind me and reinforcing the importance of doing my civic duty, they are not a practical solution.
These machines are used only in emergencies because replacement parts are not being manufactured. Or did Albany sell us a bill of goods in 2010, when the state passed legislation requiring electronic voting machines for all elections?
Rudy Rosenberg II, Carle Place
