> I’m not sure why America ever installed digital voting machines
Because companies that make them lobbied state governments to use them. Usually by pitching various fraudulent claims, like "it's cheaper" and "it's safer" - but, of course, what really talks is money:
Keep in mind that here in US, even when it comes to the federal elections, the states are the ones that run them, and they have a lot of leeway in doing so. Thus you see a very wide spectrum, all the way from the craziness described in this article, to states like mine where all ballots are paper and election is handled by mail. Similar with voter registration and identifying voters.
It doesn't have to be that way - Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate: "The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.". But they don't really use this power much; two prominent examples are the federal law that mandates single-member districts (which is bad, because it prevents states from experimenting with other electoral systems), and the law to establish a single voting day (which is Tuesday, because said law dates 170 years back, when primary consideration was to accommodate people travelling to polling places from remote locations by foot or by horse). Given the importance of federal politics these days, I think it's long overdue for much more stringent regulations to set a baseline that guarantees free and fair elections.
Because companies that make them lobbied state governments to use them. Usually by pitching various fraudulent claims, like "it's cheaper" and "it's safer" - but, of course, what really talks is money:
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/latest-news/article213558729.htm...
Keep in mind that here in US, even when it comes to the federal elections, the states are the ones that run them, and they have a lot of leeway in doing so. Thus you see a very wide spectrum, all the way from the craziness described in this article, to states like mine where all ballots are paper and election is handled by mail. Similar with voter registration and identifying voters.
It doesn't have to be that way - Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate: "The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.". But they don't really use this power much; two prominent examples are the federal law that mandates single-member districts (which is bad, because it prevents states from experimenting with other electoral systems), and the law to establish a single voting day (which is Tuesday, because said law dates 170 years back, when primary consideration was to accommodate people travelling to polling places from remote locations by foot or by horse). Given the importance of federal politics these days, I think it's long overdue for much more stringent regulations to set a baseline that guarantees free and fair elections.