Voting Systems: ‘Badly Broken’

* Re “A ‘Modern’ Democracy That Can’t Count Votes,” Dec. 11: The Times’ expose of our country’s voting systems is cause for alarm. It demonstrates that the various systems in place are rife with con artists, “vote whores,” politicians on the take and vendors of obsolete voting machines.

Though voting is a fundamental right in this country, there’s no guarantee that a voting device will get it right. As they stand, the voting systems throughout the country make a mockery of democracy and voters. Worse, election officials who are aware of the magnitude of the problems seem helpless to fix them.

If the voting chaos in Florida is the rule and not the exception, then it is clear that the Supreme Court [used] constitutional principles as chicken wire and chewing gum in Bush vs. Gore to hold together a badly broken system.

GILBERTO Y. MORENO

North Hills

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I was fascinated by your article. I was wondering if other countries have this much trouble. What are the systems used in Japan, the United Kingdom, France, etc.?

JACK MARTIN

Redondo Beach

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A rather obvious solution presents itself to address the security concerns with electronic voting: At the completion of voting, the machine prints a ballot, the voter checks it for accuracy and then deposits it in the ballot box for later review, if called for. Such a system would forestall chicanery, as well as providing the security of paper backup should malfunction occur.

JOHN C. NELSON

Los Angeles

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I didn’t think much of Al Gore until he took up the presidential fight. If he had conceded at once, we’d have thought that everything was perfect. In the process, he exposed the whole system, and we found out that a lot has to be done if the United States doesn’t want to remain an almost Bongo-Bongo Republic.

MARIO CARBINI

Santa Barbara

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Yes, there are voter irregularities in California and I dare say, in any other state as well (letter, Dec. 12).

For instance, it is possible for a college student in California to be registered at his or her permanent address in a home county as well as in his or her college residence county.

For the last 10 years, I have been serving as a precinct inspector, as well as allowing the use of my garage as a polling place in L.A. County. In this last presidential election, my board turned away three voters, one of whom arrived at the polling place at 8:04 p.m. The other two admittedly lived in other precincts and were given directions to their polling places by our board. We used more provisional ballots than ever before in allowing anyone who demonstrated proof of residence to cast a ballot.

I suggest that anyone who is concerned about the way we vote in California or the reliability of precinct workers volunteer to work at a precinct on election day. I know that Los Angeles County is in need of more qualified, capable precinct workers. Perhaps other counties are in the same situation.

PAMELA BAKER

Northridge