Election Day and the Aftermath
Voting Machines
Electronic voting machines were viewed as better than older machines
HAVA 2002 gave states money to phase out old voting technology
Pros: easier for people with disabilities to vote
Cons: they're expensive to buy and maintain, no paper trail
Optical scanners (like scantrons) have an obvious paper trail and minimal user error, but less likely that they'll be counted
voting precincts are supposed to have a reserve of paper and pencil ballots
Absentee voting
concerns: being properly machine read and having a signature match
In most states, the ID requirements for in-person voting don't apply for absentee ballots
may not ever be counted, or be counted right away depending on how close the margin is
ballot must have arrived by election day, military absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day
Recounts
If less than .5% difference, a state will fund a recount
happen on a county-by-county basis
If more than .5% difference, the candidate requesting the recount must pay upfront; candidate will get the money back if the recount is in their favor
2016 had a few attempts at recounting in Michigan and Wisconsin; Michigan had a rule that if the # of people checked in to vote doesn't match the number of ballots, that district cannot be recounted
2000 election was riding on Florida, as votes were mistakenly given to Pat Buchanan form Al Gore; hanging chad prevented proper reading of ballots
Voting for Electors, not a candidate (presidential elections only)
Electors swear to vote for a particular candidate if they win a plurality or proportion of the state
plurality is a winner take all system
only Nebraska and Maine have proportional voting
Electors vote in the december after the election
Faithless electors vote for a different candidate than their state requires them to vote for
the most recent election had seven (ten total with three excluded) faithless electors, a surprisingly high number of faithless electors; the most since 1972