Over the last few voting cycles, many ‘flaws’ in our democratic system have been brought to light.

Trying to fix something that doesn’t seem to be broken in the first place is one of many problems in America.

Many citizens now believe that finding new technology in order to count ballots is creating more problems than solutions.

Electronic voting can encompass several different types of voting, including electronic means of casting and counting votes. The technology can range from punch cards to specialized voting machines or optical scanners used to count results.

Paper ballots are those that each voter is supplied with in which voters mark their choice on the paper, then the ballot is either run though an optical scanner to be counted or it is hand counted.

Though the use of optical scanners as a method of counting ballots is hardly ever quested, however, the use of direct-recording electronic systems, DRE systems, is what all of the controversy is about.

Though this might not be a problem interfering with each state’s voting process, it is a rather large issue in big swing states that have the potential to decide the upcoming presidential election.

During the last big primary in Ohio, the state decided to use paper ballots in the majority of the polling stations, combined with optical scanners at a central location to tally the votes.

Though paper ballots may sound like a solve-all, the state experienced a shortage of ballots, particularly in the democratic race.

The blunt shortage of ballots prompted the Barack Obama camp to file a federal lawsuit in the state, to allow three counties polling stations to stay open two hours longer. The counties were in the states three biggest metropolitan areas, but the campaign was only received a ruling in its favor in one of the three counties.

Whether filing an electronic ballot, or filling out a paper one, many voters fear that their vote won’t count.

Each state is given the liberty to use whichever system is a better fit for their voters, whether it be using DRE systems, optical scanners to count votes or punch cards.