is that voting is controlled at the state level. So if you are going to start harassing representatives, make sure you're harassing the right ones.

Second, the documented Russian hacking issues being discussed are of the voter registration system - which is an entirely (electronically) separate system from the vote counting system. (Most of the articles I've read are horribly fuzzy about which system is being hacked - but every one I've been able to trace back is the voter registration system - which makes sense because it is that system that is frequently connected to the internet (the vote counting systems are not).

The effect is similar on the outcome if Democrats, or those likely to vote for Democratic candidates, are removed from the voting rolls - but getting paper ballots will not solve the much more significant problems that created by hacking the voter registration system (or by voter ID laws, or gerrymandering)

acknowledge that voter suppression issues need to be addressed, and obviously the question assumed that we would go to the correct people about it.

They tried to manipulate the rolls to stop people from voting and/or throw the legitimacy of the election in doubt.

Paper ballots won't stop that.

Honestly just demanding paper ballots makes you sound like a Luddite. What should be demanded is machines that produce a paper trail that can be audited as needed. For example the machines I vote on here in NC print a paper record of your vote under glass right next to the touch screen. They actually record not just your final ballot but every single keystroke. If I select a choice and then change it the record will show that. Then when I am done it prints it all as my final ballot before my eyes and the record gets rolled up on the printed roll inside the machine much like a cash register that keeps an internal roll.

That way you have the ease of using a touch screen, quick tallying, a paper trail to go to in the event of a recount or dispute and an easily audited system.

The last part is important. Here after election day, before elections are certified the board of elections picks precincts and races at random for each county and directs a full audit comparing the paper results to make sure it all matches. That auditing will detect and discrepancies between the paper record and electronic results and serves to show that the machines are accurate.

That is what should exist nationwide. Not just a reverting to the 1890's, because hand counts of ballots have their own issues too with inaccuracy.

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/16/1100628/-It-s-the-Voting-Machines-Not-the-Voters

So I'll wear my Luddite badge proudly and repeat that a paper ballot counted by hand would not be that big of a deal to implement, and would solve some of these problems.

And again, yes, voter suppression issues do need to be addressed, but this is something different.

You don't need a paper trail when you have actual ballots. Getting rid of actual ballots was profoundly naive. We can afford to wait a few hours to properly count the actual ballots. Lets take the time to do it right and toss these hackable gee-whizz superduper VoteMax2000 v.2.0.1.3.5.6 right where they belong - the scrap heap.