Is paper necessary for confirmation of intent and secure auditing?
The question of whether it is necessary to produce paper records is, essentially, a two-fold issue revolving around: 1) the practical security of offering a low-tech, tamperproof record and 2) the psychological security of a macro-physical object with familiar and time-tested properties. We know that, generally speaking, people dont trust what they cant see and touch. In reality, however, paper is secure only as far as the administrative system is secure. Unless the paper were a certified, currency grade material, it would be trivial to print a forged voter log. An encrypted record, on the other hand, cannot easily be counterfeited regardless of administrative lapses or malfeasance. Furthermore, unlike paper records, a secure electronic record of votes can be stored in multiple locations and is thereby less susceptible to damage, loss, or tampering. There are ways to safely do away with paper records. Douglas Jones at the University of Iowa has described a system wherein a screenshot o
