As an election judge in the Nov. 5 general election, I can substantiate that most voters did not elect to correct undervoted or even overvoted ballots (“Few voters bothered to fix possible ballot errors,” Page 1, Nov. 11). But I think the focus of the attention of election board officials, state government and the media would more appropriately be spent on the need for error prevention rather than error detection.
To be sure, many voters did not want to spend extra time to revote a complicated and lengthy ballot (or simply did not choose to vote in every race). But just as we have found it wrong to blame a voter who cannot read or cannot see, we must similarly not put the blame on the voter when the voting system is technologically complicated and antiquated, and does not allow the voter to easily and obviously avoid making errors in voting for the candidates of their choice.
The system that was put in place to detect errors since the 2000 presidential election was an appropriate attempt to put a bandage on a failing and inadequate system. But it cannot and must not be seen as the solution.
Instead we need a simple system (perhaps touch-screen but with a paper record) that allows voters to easily choose the candidates they wish to vote for, a system where one’s vote is obvious.
It is hoped that federal money will be able to allow such new voting technology.
I have trouble imagining a more appropriate use of resources; after all, fair and accurate voting is a most basic necessity for democracy to work.
Besides the voters, one should note that many election judges were overwhelmed with the procedure and complexity of the elections. Similarly, many voters were consistently overwhelmed with the rules and procedures of both registering to vote and voting.
Again, the blame is typically cast on the voter–“It is the voter’s responsibility to know how and when to vote,” people say. But voting does not happen every day. Why should we expect any voter, let alone new voters, to be fresh on the procedures for being registered to vote and for voting itself?
As a young election judge (26), I am disheartened by the consistently scant turnout for voters of my age group, as well as the many college students whom I saw turn up at the polls who did not realize they needed to reregister when they moved as they so often do between years of college.
The right to vote is the most fundamental right in our democracy. It is the pillar upon which our entire democracy must rest. Every effort and resource must therefore be used to ensure that voting in all respects is as simple as possible.
