Florida: The Economist on FL-13
The Economist reports: SINCE it is a place where alligator wrestling is a recognised pastime and tourists wear hats with Mickey Mouse ears, you might think that Florida would be immune to embarrassment. But after its punch-card ballots threw the 2000 presidential election into chaos, the state made a decisive move. It outlawed punch-cards and spent millions of dollars on touch-screen voting machines instead.
“There'll never be a hanging, dangling, or pregnant chad again,” vowed Katherine Harris who was Florida's secretary of state at the time of the election. In 2002, Ms Harris was elected to the national House of Representatives.
But now voters are realising that a mangled paper record is better than none at all. “At least we had the ability to determine a voter's intentions,” said Dan Smith of the University of Florida. This year's election to Florida's 13th congressional district provides a handy lesson in the pitfalls of electronic voting. Weeks after election day, it is still being contested. In an odd coincidence, it is the seat Ms Harris decided to vacate to pursue a disastrous Senate run. -- Electronic voting | Another election mess in Florida | Economist.com
Note: Dan Smith (quoted in the third graf) called this article to my attention (I wonder why?). I decided to quote because of the wonderful first paragraph. (I wonder what snarky remark they would have about Alabama?)