Kolkhorst bill to require paper trail

With the 80th Texas Legislature now in session, Rep. Lois Kolkhorst has filed a bill requiring all electronic voting machines to provide paper trails.

If passed, House Bill 384 will require all electronic voting machines to produce a separate paper record, allowing citizens to verify their votes and allowing ballots to be recounted or audited later.

"This is really a nationwide concern on the integrity of the votes and whether or not electronic voting can be completely reliable," Kolkhorst said. "Anytime I do a paper ballot, I go over my list and take a look to see if it's correct," Kolkhorst said. "When you cast a vote and mark it electronically, it doesn't show (what you voted for), and that's a problem."

Kolkhorst cited Tarrant County voting machines in the Ft. Worth area recorded 100,000 votes that were never cast during March primary elections. In addition, Harris and Ft. Bend Counties had several malfunctioning machines during the November elections.

Locally, Austin County saw over-votes in the Agricultural Commission-er race in the March primaries.

"The appearance of an over-vote was something the (electronic voting) company assured us would never happen due to the latest technology," Austin County Clerk Carrie Gregor said. "Although the programming error was detected immediately and the equipment was shut down, the results could have been disastrous for this particular race if it had gone unnoticed."

Austin County ran into more problems with the electronic voting machines when the computer ballots incorrectly labeled candidates' parties during the April primary run-offs.

"I think as we move to electronic voting, it is incumbent upon us to ensure the voters that their votes are safe and will be counted," Kolkhorst said. "Technology can be a friend, but it can also be a foe. Our founding fathers had checks and balances in place, and the paper ballots is just asking for that check and balance."

Kolkhorst said if passed, the currently electronic voting machines "could probably be retrofitted" to produce the paper ballots.

"Certainly, it would be a cost, and hopefully it would be funded either by the federal government or the state," Kolkhorst said.

The paper trail requirement has already been mandated in 27 states.

You may contact Tracy at editor@sealynews.com or (979) 885-3562.

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