Election Reform Briefing: Recounts--From Punch Cards to Paper Trails
Half of the states in the country will require the use of voter-verifiable paper audit trails with electronic voting machines in the next two years. How they might be used to resolve close elections, however, has not been determined.
A new report finds that while 25 states will require the use of paper trails in time for the 2008 presidential election, so far only 14 states currently plan to use them as the official record in a recount of votes. How or if they would be used in recounts – and how difficult that process might be – are questions many states still need to answer.
Those findings are part of “Recounts: From Punch Cards to Paper Trails,” a new study analyzing recount procedures from across the country and the 12th such briefing produced by electionline.org, the nation's leading source for election reform news and information.
Pew is no longer active in this line of work, but for more information, please visit electionline.org.
