Virginia Delegate Tim Hugo, R-Centreville, and Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, R-Vienna, are continuing their push for paper-verified ballots for elections in the state.
The two lawmakers said a paper backup of votes is imperative considering problems some places, including Maryland, have had with electronic ballots.
Maryland’s primary elections were marred by difficulties with electronic voting machines, delaying results more than a day.
“We’re not criticizing the current” process, Hugo told The Examiner in an interview. “We want to do whatever we need to do to make sure we maintain the utmost confidence in Virginia. What happens if it’s a close race and one of the machines break down?”
“Voting is an important duty bestowed upon Virginians, and we want to ensure that their votes are recorded accurately,” added Davis.
Hugo said he wants each vote to have a paper receipt so that two records exist of each vote. He said a recent two-year study of Virginia’s voting system showed potential pitfalls with electronic voting.
The majority of jurisdictions, including all jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, use electronic voting machines.
Hugo introduced legislation requiring the state to conduct a pilot program on how a paper-verified voting system should be instituted, but the bill failed to pass. He and Davis said they would continue to push the bill in the General Assembly’s next session.
Failure of the electronic voting system “is one [issue] I really worry about,” Hugo said. “I’m trying to make sure we don’t have a problem.”
