Unfortunately, computer experts have warned of numerous problems with both DRE and optical scan machines. Hardware problems, unreliable computer code and lack of security have raised serious questions about whether votes are being accurately recorded, tallied and reported. The experiences of many localities have demonstrated these failings. In Bernalillio County, N.M. a programming error caused a computer to delete 25 percent of the ballots cast by early voters. In Maryland voters for the Republican candidate for governor watched as their vote appeared beside the Democratic candidate’s name. In Fairfax County, Va. a machine was found to have subtracted one vote for every 100 cast for a school board candidate. In one Texas matchup, optical scan machines declared two low vote getters to be landslide winners.

In the Texas case, elections officials were able to correct the mistake by hand counting the optically scanned paper ballots. Many DRE machines, however, produce no such paper trail to audit. Recognizing this crucial shortcoming of DRE technology, many observers are calling for voting machines to produce paper receipts that voters can verify before leaving the polling booth and that are subsequently held in lock boxes for audit purposes. The State of California recently moved to require such a voter verified paper audit trail in all elections. Senate Bill 296 would establish the same protections in Alaska.