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NPAction Staff

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Tennessee Government Works to Improve Elections

In December 2007, the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) published Trust But Verify: Progress Report on Election Study . In 2006, TACIR voted to review the entire election process, including an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of voting machines currently used in Tennessee. The “Trust But Verify” report is the first publication on the results of that review and focuses on issues related to voting machines.

After reviewing what is known about voting machines, as well as practices in Tennessee and other states, suggestions by the TACIR staff on possible changes to the state’s election practices include the following:

• Implement voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPAT) statewide within a reasonable time frame.
• Request a review by the Election Assistance Commission to find out how much of Tennessee’s remaining HAVA funds would be available to purchase new voting machines.
• Strengthen audit requirements to ensure that a random sample of machines is routinely tested by comparing hand counts to machine totals, and when results vary by more than a small percentage, that a broader recount process follows.
• Consider making early voting and voting by mail more accessible.
• Consider a Vote by Mail pilot program that would allow the state to assess the advantages and disadvantages of this type of voting in Tennessee.
• Strengthen security and pre-test requirements and make them consistent for all voting systems.