On Tuesday, an Election Day voting system glitch in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, sparked renewed concerns over the security of electronic voting machines. During a judicial retention vote, a coding error caused votes to be flipped on the ballot, creating a stir among the electorate and officials alike.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) highlighted the incident, underscoring the growing skepticism among Americans toward the electoral process and reinforcing the call for secure elections.
This is why Americans have a growing distrust of the system. It baffles me how Democrats consistently screw up the execution of elections to the peril and misfortune of the voter.
Make Elections Safe and Secure AGAIN!!! https://t.co/XhAMS3vLJo
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) November 7, 2023
The error occurred on machines tasked with collecting votes for Pennsylvania Superior Court Judges Jack Panella and Victor Stabile. Votes intended for one judge were erroneously attributed to the other on printed summaries. However, officials assured that the backend system recorded the selections correctly. This malfunction, described by County Executive Lamont McClure as a “relatively minor glitch,” affected over 300 machines and was swiftly addressed with a court order to continue their use, with a promise to rectify the results during tabulation.
Election Systems & Software, the vendor responsible for the machines, attributed the fault to human error and emphasized its isolation to just the judicial retention question in Northampton County. Such assurances, however, do little to quell the trepidation surrounding the reliance on technology in voting, a process that is sacrosanct in the democratic tradition.
The mishap in Northampton County is not an isolated incident; it follows a pattern of glitches and vulnerabilities associated with electronic voting systems across the United States. These issues have raised eyebrows and prompted a bipartisan demand for more reliable and secure voting methods.
In light of the recent voting machine glitches, calls for election security reform have gained momentum, with figures like Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy proposing sweeping changes.
In August, Ramaswamy, speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” suggested four pivotal reforms:
- Declaring Election Day as a national holiday.
- Insisting on single-day voting.
- Reverting to paper ballots only.
- Requiring government-issued voter IDs that match the voter file.
These measures aim to strengthen election integrity and bolster public confidence, ensuring that each citizen’s vote is a secure and verified expression of their democratic right. Ramaswamy’s proposals resonate with a constituency that values traditional voting methods as a bulwark against the uncertainties of technology.
Here's the way forward on election integrity:
1. Single Day Voting
2. Make Election Day a National Holiday
3. Paper Ballots
4. Government-issued voter ID matched to the identification on file.
This is easily doable & should not be controversial. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/QLuEiWdoNx— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 2, 2023
The recent glitch in Pennsylvania is a stark reminder of the delicate nature of our electoral infrastructure. It is a call to action for those who believe in the sanctity of the vote, urging a return to the basics of democracy — a transparent and verifiable system. As the nation grapples with these challenges, the conversation around election security becomes not just about the mechanics of voting but the foundation of democratic participation.
