Paper trail legislation gets more looks
The Washington Post reports: Efforts are intensifying in Congress to pass legislation that would require electronic touch-screen voting machines used in federal elections to provide paper trails that could be checked in the case of a recount.
The new momentum is the result of lingering concerns about the machines as the 2008 presidential primaries fast approach, as well as strong support for changes by the new Democratic majority, with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chair of the Rules Committee, taking a leading role. ...
The work at the national level echoes moves in many states. Often under pressure from voting-rights groups, 27 states have decided to require paper trails.
Last month, Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida went a step further, asking the legislature to pay for replacing touch-screen machines by next year with optical-scan devices, which read paper ballots. Virginia and Maryland are considering similar moves. -- Campaign Strengthens For a Voting Paper Trail - washingtonpost.com