I Voted Today and have an Observation & Question

I voted early in a local election, because I'll be out of town during the regular. Had to vote on an electronic machine with no paper at all (although I know the county has machines that use paper ballots).

What was completely new was the way they checked me in. Until now, they've always simply looked me up on a paper roll. This time, they scanned or typed something in from my registration card -- into a computer, which verified my address and that I'm registered. Then they showed me which machine to vote on.

I realize they needed to know what precinct I'm in in order to give me the right ballot options -- my councilperson was up for reelection. But I was a bit creeped out by the possibility that the computer could also tie my actual, specific votes to my identity and address -- i.e., that my ballot might not be secret anymore.

Has anyone else encountered this practice of checking voters in on the computer, or come across any suggestion of misuse of the info recorded?

Welcome to the wonderful world of total electronic voting.

Check into what these did in Maryland last year, and yes apart from them crashing and causing all kinds of electoral hell, there is some concern indeed (!) that they could be misused.

All your votes are belong to us.