Why doesn't the United States use electronic voting machines in elections?

You United States The last day of presidential voting was on Tuesday, November 4, 2024. There are several differences between the voting systems of Brazil and the rest of the world. USA, And one of the main things for the population is the use of electronic voting machines.

In most of the territory, the US uses traditional ballot boxes, with ballots filled in or punched into boxes. Some places use... electronic voting machines, But they have little to do with Brazilian women.

Furthermore, although they have "election day," in United States It is possible to start voting weeks in advance, both at polling stations and by mail. Part of the explanation for this is cultural heritage, and another is that voting is always on Tuesday (and it's not a public holiday). 

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Use of electronic voting machines

Brazil

In Brazil, we are used to using electronic voting machines. For almost 30 years, the system has been unified and federal. The idea is that this will speed up the vote counting process, as well as guarantee fair voting and reduce the risk of fraud.

India

In India, one of the world's most populous countries, electronic voting machines are also widely used. There, they use machines called EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines), which register the vote in a secure ballot box and, in some cases, generate physical receipts.

US voting: paper is a priority.

There is no specific reason why the US maintains almost exclusively paper-based voting. The country attempted, during the 1970s and 1980s, to implement electronic voting (about 20 years before Brazil implemented electronic voting machines).

However, there, each district chooses how it will provide ballot boxes. Thus, there was a wide variety of ballot box types, which hindered large-scale implementation and the ease of voting for the voter. Although electronic voting machines still exist in the United States, the idea never really "caught on.". 

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Is voting in the United States entirely manual?

Although the US doesn't use many electronic voting machines, That doesn't mean they don't use technology. In fact, most votes are cast on paper and counted by scanning the ballot. 

Early and mail-in voting in the United States

One interesting and important question about the US elections is the possibility of early and mail-in voting. In fact, these methods are widely used. 

• In 2020, 158 million people voted early. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was a significant increase, but it opened doors.
• With one day to go until the 2024 election, an estimated 80 million people have already voted in the US – half the number from during the pandemic.

Some advantages of this system are accessibility for people with reduced mobility, convenience for the voter, more time available for counting, and guaranteed available time. 

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Does the US use electronic voting machines?

Although most polling places in the US use paper ballots, there are, in fact, electronic voting machines In the United States, this is a minority: only about 20%. A portion of these voting machines may still print votes for audits or recounts. It is estimated that, in the end, 98% of the votes will have a paper record. 

There are several reasons why the US prefers not to use electronic voting machines, such as:

There are a number of reasons why the US has not yet implemented electronic voting machines nationwide:

• Electoral DecentralizationIn the United States, each state has authority over the voting system, and implementing electronic voting machines would require complex coordination among all 50 states.
• CybersecurityConcerns about cyberattacks and the protection of personal data are strong reasons for preferring paper-based systems, which leave a physical trace for audits.
• Trust in Paper MoneyMore out of habit than anything else, many Americans see paper ballots as more secure because they allow for manual recounts and are less vulnerable to technological manipulation.

Is the electronic voting system reliable?

Although they face criticism, electronic voting machines Brazilian electoral systems have been a symbol of efficiency in Brazil. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) conducts audits and tests to ensure the system's reliability, reinforcing security against fraud and data leaks. The transparency of the Brazilian system serves as an example for many countries considering adopting the technology.