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California releases e-vote guidelines

Built-in paper trail will help protect against fraud and make recounts more certain.

Headshot of Robert Lemos
Headshot of Robert Lemos
Robert Lemos Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Robert Lemos
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Robert Lemos
The California Secretary of State's office published an eight-page summary of guidelines for adding a paper trail to electronic voting machines. The system is required in all direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines in the state by July 1, 2006.

Known officially as an accessible voter verified paper audit trail (AVVPAT), the system would require that touchscreen voting machines print out a paper receipt that the voter could see but not touch. The receipt would be stored in case a recount is necessary, and designates the paper copy as the official vote of record.