Supporters of former president Donald Trump’s false claim that he actually won the 2020 election are preparing for the next election by attacking the ballot scanners that tabulate the results, arguing that hand-counting paper ballots is more accurate. …
Republicans are arguing that humans are more likely than machines to get the count right. Evidence, however, suggests the opposite: Computers — which ballot scanners rely on — are very good at tedious, repetitive tasks. Humans are bad at them. And counting votes is tedious and repetitive.
While scanners haven’t yet been banned in any state, support for hand-counting paper ballots has surged among closely attuned Republicans and plummeted among similarly attuned Democrats, my research finds. With that opinion shift, expect state legislatures to act in 2023. CONTINUED
Charles Stewart III (MIT), Monkey Cage
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