From colonial times until the 1880s, elections were conducted orally by “yes” or “no” in front of courtrooms.
This method was known as “voice voting”, and it is the way in which everyone was elected George WashingtonThomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.
In the late 1880s, a major change came with the invention of the ACME voting machine, which aimed to secure a fair vote by providing voting supervisors with a mechanism to detect any additional tampering.
The machine allowed them to accurately count votes compared to registered voters, and included a computing device known as a “tabulator” that reads and summarizes the data.
Crane machines
In 1892, the first lever style voting machine was used in Lockport, New York.
Voters would pull a lever to close the machine’s curtain, ensuring secrecy in the vote.
Despite the improvement provided by the machine, multiple problems remained, such as complex maintenance and lack of access for people with disabilities, and most importantly, these machines did not provide an independent, verifiable record, according to the “Council of State Governments” website.
Punch card and electronic machines
In the 1960s, Martin A. Coyle developed a new punch card-based voting machine, which allowed voters with a verifiable card.
In 1965, the “Fotomatic” voting system was developed and became the most common system until the 2000 elections.
Help America Vote Act of 2002
The Help America Act was created VoteTo set new standards for voting systems and establish a management committee ElectionsIn addition to providing funding to upgrade old equipment and creating mechanisms to facilitate voting for people with disabilities.
Today’s technology
Modern machines rely on systems such as direct recording electronic (DRE) and optical scanners.
Some machines provide a paper record that can be audited, which enhances security and the possibility of recounting when necessary, and card recognition devices have also been introduced to support voters with disabilities.
Future technology
Recent discussions include innovative voting technologies, such as app voting.
Despite the potential benefits, safety issues remain a major concern.
Some states have experimented with apps like Votz to allow remote voting for some groups.
