The NY Times’s Ian Urbina reports on continued problems with the Pentagon’s web-based balloting system. According to the story, the system is plagued with problems: it’s too slow, confusing, and has security holes. After spending nearly $30 million, only 63 voters used it in 2006. It’s not John Connally numbers, but it’s close!

One interesting note in the story is that many of the problems lie with the bewildering variety of laws and regulations regarding overseas voters. One of the reasons so few voters used it in 2006 is that only nine states allowed them to do so.

The Times provides a nice link to the memo criticizing the SERVE system which was abandoned prior to the 2004 election.

Others with more knowledge about these systems may want to chime in. I wonder, in this case, if the perfect is the enemy of the good. IsIsn’t a somewhat flawed web-based system superior to the paper ballot system we have now?