2016 Postmortem

How many ATMs are there around the world? They seem to operate to 99.9...% accuracy to 4 or 5 digits, and each and every one can provide a paper receipt when the transaction is logged. They are not immune to hacking, but they are reasonably secure in the aggregate.

When the 2000 election was "reconciled" and voting systems first came into question in the modern era, what I saw was pretty much what you describe. It looked very much like some guys had some 1980's tabulating machines gathering dust in warehouses until someone said, "Hey, let's sell these to the gov't and convert them to count ballots." At least that was what it looked like in So Cal, where I was at the time. It had evil forebodings then, and it seemingly continues. We haven't improved anything in many, many counties around the country.

Unfortunately, the Party that benefits most from voter suppression and questionable voting equipment and practices now rules the roost. It may get worse before it gets better, if it ever does.

Oh, and of course the problems we're seeing are not happening in blue states, but in red and 'swing' states.