In this age of high-tech elections, with strong passions on all sides, it’s essential that you know that the optical scan voting machine that counts your ballot works right every time. They have to be reprogrammed with a new memory card for each new election. They’re programmed by hard-working, detail-oriented people. But people can make mistakes.
Some say that Massachusetts doesn’t need to institute random audits. They say the laws we had on the books 20 years ago are fine, even though the technology we use in elections has changed. But recounts are only allowed if the difference between two candidate’s votes is less than or equal or two one-half of one percent of the vote count. If a machine error created a greater disparity than half a percent, it could never be found. Random audits will build confidence in the voting system. We all deserve no less.
