I just received the following notice of what should be an interesting talk by Paul Herrnson, for those located near the University of Maryland:
Professor Paul Herrnson will deliver his Distinguished Scholar Teacher Award lecture,
Beyond the Hanging Chad: The Promise and Performance of Electronic Voting Systems
Wednesday, October 26, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Marie Mount Building Room 1400
University of MarylandHerrnson’s research, funded by the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, provides a comparative analysis of six electronic voting systems, including a prototype developed at the University of Maryland. The analysis, based on field tests and laboratory experiments involving over 1,500 voters, demonstrates that despite the fact that most voters expressed satisfaction with the systems, some shortcomings exist. Substantial numbers of voters felt the need to ask for help when voting and were unable to cast all of their votes as they had intended.
Factors related to the “digital divide” accounted for some, but not all of the differences. Certain types of ballot designs also increased the complexities of voting. Herrnson’s presentation will include a PowerPoint presentation of different voting machines, ballot designs, and voter responses.
The event is free and open to the public. Reception immediately to follow. All are invited.
Please RSVP to Mel Freitag, Center Coordinator, at mfreitag@capc.umd.edu or 301-314-2735 by October 14.