The History of Voting Technology

Voting has a long history for humanity. From the origin of democracy in Athens, Greece, to the modern day, we’ve been casting votes for thousands of years. The United States has been casting votes since it was established, although voting has only been open to all U.S. citizens, regardless of race or gender, since 1919.

Advancements in voting and voting technology reflect our changing social and technological states. As we’ve changed and advanced, so has our voting. By exploring the history of voting technology, we can understand how far we’ve come. Let’s look at a voting technology overview and learn how the voting process has changed to uphold integrity and accessibility.

1. Voice Voting

The history of voting machines starts with people, not inventions. Voice voting is the original form of democratic vote casting. Called “viva voce,” voters would stand in front of election clerks and tell them who they were voting for. This is the most straightforward voting method, but it does have some drawbacks. Publicly calling out your vote could lead to public voting pressure — it can be hard to call out your vote in front of hundreds of other people.

Voice voting would remain common in the U.S. until the 1800s when paper ballots took over. By the 1870s, only Oregon and Kentucky used voice voting. Establishing public voting laid the foundation for today’s sophisticated voting methods.

2. Paper Ballots

The U.S. needed a voting system that could handle more complex demands as it grew. Having people call out their votes is fine for a small population, but making thousands of people stand in line to vote verbally is logistically challenging. The evolution of voting saw paper ballots as the solution to this challenge.

Paper ballots became popular in the 1800s, fixing some of the issues people had with voice voting. Some areas would have eligible individuals vote by writing their name with their preferred candidate. Others would provide the paper with the candidate’s name, and voters would write underneath the candidate they wanted. Then, in 1858, the Australian government revolutionized ballots.

The state of Victoria printed the “Australian secret ballot” for eligible voters. It had every candidate’s name and room for recording your vote. This ballot took off — it let voters record their vote privately and cleared up any confusion about nonstandard voting styles. Once voters marked their choice, they would fold their ballot up and drop it off at ballot boxes for counting. Paper ballot votes were recorded by hand until the invention of mechanical voting machines.

3. Mechanical Voting Machines

With the end of the Industrial Revolution came new voting technologies. Inventors were looking to boost voting efficiency while reducing human error. Mechanical voting machines significantly improved voting. Voters could now show up, quickly cast their vote, and go on with their day. The machines were fast and reduced the chances of human error in recording votes.

Additionally, they provided areas with immediate voting tallies. However, mechanical voting machines were prone to mechanical failures. While buttons, tokens, and dials were all mechanical voting methods developed, levers and punch card voting took off:

Levers

Jacob H. Myers invented the first widely used lever voting machine in 1889. Myers introduced the Myers Automatic Voting Booth in 1892 in Lockport, New York. The booth let voters enter through a door and view a panel with columns. These columns were color-coded based on party and listed all candidate names. Voters would turn the knob by the candidate they wanted to vote for. Then, they would exit, and the machine would log their votes.

Punch Card Voting

Punch card voting got its start in the 1860s with patents from several different inventors, but it only became widely used in the 1960s. Voters would go into a booth with a punch card. Then, they would punch one of the pre-scored spots, or chads, to indicate their vote. A card reader would read all the punched-out votes to get the results. The U.S. used this method until the 2010s — the last Votomatic punch card system, which was finally retired in 2014.

Punch card voting used the computer technology of the late 20th century to count votes quickly and accurately. However, some things could have been improved with this method. Famously, punch card issues, like misread ballots and “hanging chads,” made the 2000 election too close to call in Florida, leading to a recount.

This recount resulted in George W. Bush becoming the 43rd president of the United States. After this election, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). This act reformed the voting process and banned punch card voting methods in federal elections.

4. Computer Voting

After the 2000 election, voting security and accuracy were a widespread concern in the U.S. Voting methods began to shift to more advanced electronic voting systems. Systems like direct-recording electronic (DRE) machines became popular in the 1970s and took off after the 2000 election confusion.

These machines let voters use touchscreens or keypads to cast their votes. The machine records the touch response electronically. Additionally, some DRE machines produce a voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) that prints a paper record of the vote. Voters review the paper response before they submit their vote. Finally, the VVPAT is stored in a secure compartment in case of review. Today, modern voting systems use the paper and electronic records of DRE systems to ensure voting accuracy.

5. Modern Voting Systems

DREs remain one of the most popular voting methods. However, optical scanners are the main voting technology used in the U.S. They blend paper ballots and modern electronic technology for improved security, speed, and accuracy.

For optical scanner voting, voters use a paper ballot and mark their preferred choice. Then, the ballot goes into an optical scanner. The scanner uses light sensors to detect the voting marks, making electronic records of the votes. Additionally, the paper ballot goes into a secure storage box. This method creates an electronic and paper record of the vote to ensure accuracy.

Voting Systems From Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS)

Whether you’re a club, nonprofit, or government organization, reliable voting methods are an essential part of an election process. Security and accuracy are critical for ensuring our elections are trustworthy. Whether you need in-person, virtual, or hybrid voting systems, SBS offers secure, reliable, and comprehensive services tailored to your needs.

Our team ensures seamless election management from start to finish, providing expert security, unmatched customer support, and detailed reporting. Whether you’re a large organization or an individual, we will designate a team for your project to ensure you get consistent support throughout the voting process.

Partner with SBS today and experience the difference true voting integrity and efficiency can make. Reach out now to learn how we can enhance your election experience.