The problem with paper

Tennessee is only the most recent state mandating a move to paper balloting in an effort to insure the integrity of the ballot.

Here’s the problem: when combined with an increasing use of by-mail voting (primarily via no-excuse absentee balloting) and when some jurisdictions are moving to a central count, then this will almost certainly result in a dramatic increase in residual vote (under and over votes).

Since the high residual vote rates associated with punch card and lever machines were a primary reason we got rid of these after 2000, the move to paper is not without it’s own problems.