SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)– The future of voting is changing for Syracuse residents. Local voters expressed their mixed views on using touch screen voting machines in upcoming elections.
Levi Fergot, 25, said using the original, paper ballot method of voting is more secure and reliable than touch screen machines.
“I really enjoy the paper ballot. I think it’s just so hard to falsify. There’s a lot of skilled people with computers and the more we live in a digitalized world, there’s just more chances to create fraudulent votes.”
He said there are no advantages to digitalizing the voting system as these machines have caused issues in the past.
“Back in the 1980s and 1990s, national elections with paper only, were counted that (same) night. Why did the last election take multiple weeks to figure out? It’s because they had dubious digital systems and no one knew how to rectify that,” Fergot said.
On the other hand, Danajah Riley said she is open to using the new touch screen voting machines with one condition.
“There should be a diverse group of people that should be monitoring the tallying of these electronic votes to make sure that there’s an unbiased set up,” said Riley.
She said the benefits of the touch screen voting machines outweigh the downsides.
“I definitely think that it would help organization wise,” said Riley. “So even though there might be glitches (with the new machinery), when it comes to government, sometimes you really have to think which one is the lesser evil,” Riley said.
Andrew Widmer, who was waiting for his food at Stage Hearts, made a novel suggestion.
“As technology is getting advanced, we could lean more towards the digital, but still have that option for people who want the paper (ballots). We should offer do both,” said Widmer.
Onondaga County voters will be using the new touch screen voting machines as early as this fall, according to a press release by the New York State Board of Elections. This will be the first time since 2008 that the county will introduce new voting machinery.
New York joins 14 other states in approving touch screen voting machines, according to Politico’s article “The Scramble to Secure America’s Voting Machines.”
