Yesteryear A Return to O n June 8, 1966 , Humboldt County became one of seven California counties to
Voting is a fundamental right and privilege of US citizenship. It is a way in which people can participate in their government and have their voices heard. Thus, secure and credible elec- tions are essential.
use the new IBM Votomatic punch card and computer voting system in a state primary election. After the polls closed, punched ballots were rushed to Humboldt State College, fed into the computer, and tallied at a rate of 250 per minute. The machine served three primary purposes: to speed up returns, reduce costs, and minimize chances of error. The Votomatic was put to regu- lar use in the US and was last used in two Idaho counties in the 2014 general election. The 2000 presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore, in which the state of Florida would determine the outcome of the election follow- ing a close Electoral College count,
renewed focus on the importance of election accuracy. The recount involved hanging and dimpled chads — where only portions of perforated paper were detached, or the paper was dented on punch-card ballots. Following the recount, the justices declared Bush the winner. However, this election caused some loss of confidence in the voting process. Modern-day voters also share concerns over potential issues, such as impersonation at the polls, false registrations, duplicate voting, fraudulent use of absentee ballots, altering counts, ineligible voting, and more. The problem of aging voting equip- ment in the US has also been iden- tified. Security experts report that
direct-recording electronic voting machines (DREs), commonly used on Election Day, present risks mainly because they have grown outdated. In fact, some parts are no longer manufactured. Additionally, touch screens have the potential to incorrectly register votes due to calibration errors, exposing vulnera- bilities to improper outcomes. Newer voting machines that produce paper ballots are largely preferred, as they enable election officials to conduct post-election audits. The Center for Secure and Modern Elections estimates the full cost of replacing outdated voting machines over the
next decade at $1.8 billion. Photos: Votomatic (above); iVotronic (left)
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