Politics & Government

Pencils Ready? Maryland to Return to Paper Ballots for 2016 Election

Maryland state election authorities are shopping for a new paper ballot system to have in place by the 2016 presidential election.

After a short experiment with electronic voting machines, the state of Maryland has decided to move back to paper ballots for the 2016 election, reports the Washington Times.

The state decided to switch back to paper ballots after long-standing voter outcry and fear that computer based voting may lead to some ballots not being counted, the newspaper said. Maryland’s electronic voting machine has been controversial ever since its first institution in 2002. 

Voters raised a ruckus in 2004 after the state moved to electronic voting machines that eliminated paper ballots and still raises suspicions, reports WJZ TV. But the switch to paper ballots was delayed until now because of limited funding.

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Local election officials are already expressing uncertainty about what could go wrong when the state switches from an electronic voting system to using paper ballots, says the MarylandReporter.com.

“This is a big transition for us,” said Montgomery County Board of Elections Deputy Director Alysoun McLaughlin told the website. “Everything from set up, to warehouses, to the voting experience is based around touch screen [voting] machines.”

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State officials told the website they plan to run mock elections prior to the 2016 elections.


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