Guide Note
The term Electronic, or E Voting can be applied to various methods both of casting and counting votes electronically, but usually refers to the touch screen direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines which have replaced paper ballots in some elections. Although the use of DRE machines allows for improved ease and speed of vote counting, their use is also subject to much criticism as the votes cannot be physically verified and some DREs have proven easy to tamper with.
Fast Facts
- Up to 50 million Americans are expected to use DRE machines to vote in the next Presidential election
- 28.9% of Americans used some type of DRE voting system in 2004
- Brazil was the first country to have fully electronic elections (2000)
Quotes
- "Four years after the last presidential election, very little has been done to assure the public of the accuracy and integrity of our voting systems."—Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo.
- "Touchscreens are the only system which allows a voter with a disability to cast a secret and independent vote."—Jim Dickson, Vice President, American Association of People with Disabilities
