Public urges manual voting due to distrust in election software and hardware

In a recent meeting of the Utah County Commission, a passionate discussion erupted over the integrity of the electoral process, highlighting concerns about the trustworthiness of voting technology. As the room buzzed with anticipation, one speaker, visibly frustrated, called for a return to manual voting if confidence in current software and hardware could not be restored. “For heaven's sake, people, we have been doing elections for how many hundreds of years?” they exclaimed, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that every vote is accurately counted.

The speaker's plea resonated with many in attendance, who expressed a willingness to participate in the manual voting process if necessary. This sentiment underscored a growing unease among residents regarding the reliability of modern voting systems.

Another attendee, Sylvia Andrew, took the opportunity to express her appreciation for outgoing Commissioner Bill Lee, acknowledging his contributions while also voicing her concerns about the accuracy of information presented during the meeting. She challenged the notion that cast vote records (CVRs) were not transparent, arguing that these reports do not reveal personal voter information and should be accessible to the public. “The fact that no cast ballot records are released even to the board of canvassers is such an egregious thing to us, as the public,” she stated, calling for greater transparency in the electoral process.

Andrew referenced a recent opinion from the Texas Attorney General, which designated anonymous ballot information as public, reinforcing her argument that similar measures should be adopted in Utah. She asserted that CVRs are standard reports that do not compromise voter anonymity, countering claims that they could be used to identify individual voters.

As the meeting concluded, the discussions highlighted a critical moment for Utah County, where the intersection of technology, trust, and transparency in elections remains a pressing concern. The call for solutions and a commitment to uphold the democratic process echoed through the hall, leaving attendees pondering the future of voting in their community.