In response to the New York Daily News editorial that I linked to, ES&S sends along this reply:
Paper ballots? Yes!
By Tierra Williams, ES&S Regional Manager, New York
It’s true: good old paper remains the best way to run secure, foolproof elections. That’s why every single voting system ES&S makes, including the ExpressVote XL, produces a paper record that can be audited and verified.
For years, a small but vocal group of skeptics have repeated the same tired refrain about the ExpressVote XL, a voting machine made by my company, claiming it’s hackable, insecure, and unverifiable. Those claims are simply not true, and we believe New Yorkers deserve a full and accurate picture.
The ExpressVote XL relies on paper. Voters make their selections on a 32-inch touchscreen, then those selections are printed on a paper ballot for tabulation. That same paper record is used for auditing, as well. Post-election audits consistently demonstrate the paper records match what the XL reports.
Baseless and inaccurate claims about the XL are nothing new. They have been debunked time and again, including in courts of law. New York and Pennsylvania courts have dismissed or ruled against “baseless and irrational” attacks on this proven technology. The XL is backed by independent research, and hundreds of real elections with millions of ballots cast accurately and securely have consistently shown these speculations to be false.
The XL is tried and tested. Proven and trusted. Voters in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delaware have relied on it since 2019. In New York, voters in Monroe County led the way in adopting it, and county commissioners say the XLs are getting rave reviews. Poll workers report that the system is easy to set up and manage. Voters say they love how easy it is to use and that it’s easy to check their selections on the paper ballot.
Critics often claim the system is “unverifiable” by voters, but the facts say otherwise. Every single voter can review their selections before casting the paper record. Voters control their selections with the XL. As mandated by New York law, the ExpressVote XL provides the voter “an opportunity to privately and independently verify votes selected and the ability to privately and independently change such votes or correct any error before the ballot is cast and counted.”
The XL combines the best of both worlds: the security of paper and the accessibility of a touchscreen interface. ALL voters—including those with sight, reading, or other physical impairments—can vote independently and confidently. Everybody votes on the same device. This voting experience also eliminates voter mistakes like stray marks or indecipherable selections—which can result in a contest or an entire ballot to not be counted—ensuring ballots are counted as the voter intended.
Long lines? To the contrary. The XL has been praised for its speed and ease of use. Voters enjoy a fast, private voting experience—around 80 seconds on average, and sometimes as quick as 20 seconds.
And what about hacking? Nope. Researchers at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) conducted a 10-day penetration test and couldn’t find a single way to hack the results of a real-world election. Not one. In fact, the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) had two technology companies independently validate the quality, accuracy and security of the system.
So why do false claims continue to surface? We honestly don’t know. Perhaps because change is hard or it’s easy to distrust something unfamiliar. The good news is there are thousands of voters to listen to about the XL—voters who have tried it, tested it, and trusted it. We think more New Yorkers should be able to experience that feeling as well. And we think naysayers attacking a voting system that has consistently performed well and passed every test of security and accessibility are doing a disservice to every voter in New York.
NYSBOE made the right call certifying the ExpressVote XL. The system meets and exceeds the rigorous federal testing standards established by the EAC—the same standards required by New York for certification.
We love paper. We also love saving jurisdictions millions of dollars they would otherwise spend on preprinted ballots that never get voted on and have to be thrown away every single election. In Monroe County alone, the Board of Elections said the new machines will save about a quarter of a million dollars each election year.
It’s time to stop the nonsense. And it’s time to trust what works. Let’s give voters the tools they need to vote securely, confidently, and independently—and move forward together in strengthening, not undermining, our democratic process.