My journey to cast my vote with a real paper ballot in the mid term election on November 4, 2014

I exercised my right to vote today in the November 4, 2014 mid term election.  I was successful in casting my vote with a real paper ballot and placing it into a real ballot box.  

It was not an easy process however.  I requested a paper ballot in the August 2014 primary election and was told by the precinct worker who checked with the local supervisor that I could not vote using a paper ballot and that I must vote using an electronic black box voting machine.

A few days later I contacted the TN division of elections and asked directly if I could vote using a paper ballot.  I received a response from an election attorney in the secretary of state office a few weeks later, however the reply was not clear.  I followed up and waited.  I followed up again and received a clear response to my question.  The state was rather reluctant to provide a timely and clear answer to the simple voting question I had posed.

Here is the answer from the state election attorney:  The state prefers that voters use electronic black box voting machines if they are available.  However, the state will not deny someone the right to vote if they request a paper ballot.

Today as I checked in at the voting precinct I showed my photo ID, I signed my name several times, and I requested a paper ballot from the precinct worker.  The precinct worker told me no that I could not vote with a paper ballot.  I told the precinct worker that I had checked with the state and that I did have the right to vote in the election using a paper ballot.  The precinct worker called the local supervisor and he again said that I could not vote using a paper ballot.

I provided them with the name of the election attorney in the election division in the TN secretary of state office.   The supervisor tried to call the attorney but could not get through, imagine that happening on election day.  They asked me to wait and I did.  After about ten minutes the precinct worker took a call from the supervisor and then apologized to me and said that yes I could vote using a paper ballot and that my vote would count in the election. 

It took about 30 seconds for me to fill out the paper ballot.  Then the precinct worker had to get instructions on how to complete the process.  After a few more minutes I folded my ballot and placed it into an envelope and sealed it, and dropped it into the ballot box.

Success! 

Now why would anyone want to cast their vote using a hand counted paper ballot system?  The precinct worker thought that paper ballots were a terrible idea and that a lot of smart people had figured out the electronic black box voting machine system and that she placed her trust in it and in them.

I on the other hand prefer a simple system that does not require me to place my trust in a few smart clever people.

The simple fact is that you cannot verify a vote that is cast using an electronic black box voting machine.   Ronald Reagan once said "Trust but verify".

There are other good reasons to cast your vote with a paper ballot but this blog entry is already long enough.