University researcher to release e-voting study

Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005

A University of Maryland researcher will release results of research evaluating the accuracy and usability of electronic voting machines in College Park.

In a lecture entitled ‘‘Beyond the Hanging Chad: The Promise and Performance of Electronic Voting Systems,” Paul Herrnson, director of the University of Maryland’s Center for American Politics and Citizenship, will present his findings, conclusions and recommendations at a lecture on Oct. 26.

The findings include a comparison of the users’ error rate when casting a sample ballot on the machines, and whether a digital divide may make it harder for some voters to accurately cast their ballots.

The research was completed on e-voting systems used throughout the United States, including the Diebold Accu-Vote touch screen system used in Maryland, as well as a prototype ‘‘zoomable” system developed at the University of Maryland.

The National Science Foundation-funded research, involved field and laboratory tests with over 1,500 subjects. The project has drawn on the expertise of a national research team. Details may be viewed at www.capc.umd.edu⁄rpts⁄VotingTech_par.html.