Understanding the difference between paper ballots and paper audit trails

The Columbus Free Press

Understanding the difference between paper ballots and paper audit trails

by Gary Beckwith
March 20, 2005

With all the pending legislation in Congress designed to fix our electoral system, it is important for concerned citizens to learn and understand just what the bills would require and what they wouldn't.

One key issue is how the various bills attempt to prevent fraud by requiring a "paper trail" on computerized voting machines. In order to understand just how the bills accomplish this, and judge whether or not they solve the problem, it is important to recognize the difference between a Voter-Verified Paper Ballot (VVPB) and a Voter-Verifield Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

All the current legislation calls for VVPAT, not VVPB. But does it make a difference?

-snip/more-

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1201

;)

more

I like the distinction the author makes and think we should begin to use this form of shorthanding the difference between VVPAT and VVPB. BUT ... and it's a big but ... this is an attempt at definition after the fact. There is no official difference between a VVPAT and a VVPB because both terms were invented by the voting integrity community because there wasn't a term to describe what was needed. Verified Voting came up with the idea and has used VVPAT until recently, when they decided to go with VVPB. blackboxvoting.org thought it was better to use the term VVPB to make sure that the voter verified paper record was officially recognized as the official ballot of record.

In actual fact, neither term has any real (legal or legislative) definition, much less any real distinction between the two. Most legislation uses the term "voter verified paper record." What makes the difference in legislative and legal terms is exactly how the words are defined within the legislation. We look for the following in legislation:

1) A requirement that the voter verify the paper record for accuracy and have the ability to change anything that's wrong before casting his/her vote.

2) A specification that the voter verified paper record is counted by hand for both recounts and audits, and serves as the official BALLOT OF RECORD if there is a discrepancy between the machine and human totals.

3) A specific procedure for required random hand audits that limit the potential for manipulation. (Nothing's going to stop all fraud.)

There's lots more that will need to be refined going forward, but we absolutely HAVE TO get voter verified paper into every jurisdiction possible RIGHT NOW because most states are ordering their HAVA-funded voting machines now and not later. They won't be able to afford to update the machines they buy for a long time, so this is our last best chance!

hedda

Joan Krawitz
Executive Director, Vote Trust USA
co-founder National Ballot Integrity Project

Bill Bored, Garybeck, and I were kicking some more thoughts on the subject.

If you'd start here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x351179#351343

and scroll through the discussion, you'll see.

Again, comments appreciated.