It looks like we are headed for electronic voting machines. How can we make the system trustworthy?

Demand a paper trail is installed. Actually the most reliable voting machines are machines that are ballot assist machines. Essentially a voting machine with a paper trail that doesn't store a voting tally. Instead it prints out scan sheets to be counted by another machine that a voter would submit as a ballot.

So voting machines work, they just need a paper trail. We need to get every state to have a paper trail in the future.

There is nothing that can be done for this election other than doing your best to make sure your vote counts.

Last night I was told by an attorney, who will be reviewing polling place procedures on November 7 to limit and/or record errors and fraud by the voters AND maybe even the election judges, that he has NEVER seen an election without errors and fraud. He stated that the "punch-out" paper ballots (remember hanging chad?) are no longer legal under federal law, but my local newspaper stated this morning that one or more states will still be using them.

The voting machines are trustworthy, provided that the judges and any service technicians don't mess them up. I will be serviing as a poll challenger to report any irregularities, and I am sure there will be another poll challenger from at least the other major party to do the same. Machines must be "zeroed" before the polls open. Everyone is allowed to vote, but anyone whose right to vote is questioned must do a "provisional" paper ballot, and may not vote on the electronic machine. There are other safeguards too numerous to mention, to be sure that the vote is fair. The attorneys respond to my cell phone call if there is a problem, and the sheriff may not be far behind. Let's keep it clean.

The same way Casino's have done with slot machines. Oh, wait, that maybe won't work. Well, if we can't color in an oval by hand, or push a button, I'm not sure an electronic touchscreen will give anyone the "warm and fuzzy".

P.S.

If the ovals were trustworthy enough for basic skills tests throughout school, what are we missing?

You can not. We are better off with optically scanned paper ballots. In any given election now it all depends on what Diebold is up to...and you can be sure it is up to no good.

Have voters take a test, if they can't pass the test, they can't vote.

If they can't read or follow instruction on a voting booth, they shouldn't be allowed to vote.

with hackers and viruses, it is impossbile. i magine having pat buchanon win an election in non-white city.

Keep republicans off the ballot.