Pros and Cons of paper ballots in Election
Paper ballots are a traditional method of voting that involves marking a choice on a paper slip and placing it in a ballot box. Paper ballots have some advantages, such as being simple, transparent, and accessible, but they also have some disadvantages, such as being slow, prone to errors, and vulnerable to fraud.
*what’s the advantages and disadvantages of paper ballots?
Advantages to using paper ballots in elections
There are several advantages to using paper ballots in elections. Experts widely recognize paper ballots as one of the most important security measures that states can adopt. When selections are recorded on paper, voters can easily verify that their ballot accurately reflects their choices. Paper ballots also facilitate post-election audits, where election workers can check the paper records against electronic vote totals to confirm that voting machines are working as intended. Paper ballots provide physical proof of the voter’s intent and can be safely recounted in case of a contested result. Counting paper ballots in public allows for total oversight and transparency.
Disadvantages of paper ballots
Some of the disadvantages of paper ballots are:
- They are “time-consuming” and “slow”. Paper ballots require manual counting and verification, which can take hours or days to complete. This delays the announcement of the election results and may cause uncertainty or unrest among the voters.
- They are susceptible to “human error”. Paper ballots can be lost, misrecorded, damaged, or spoiled by accident. Physical errors on a ballot may force tabulators to guess the intentions of the voter or discard the vote altogether.
- They are vulnerable to “fraud” and “corruption”. Paper ballots can be manipulated, tampered with, or stolen by dishonest actors who want to influence the election outcome. Paper ballots can also be used for multiple voting, impersonation, or intimidation.
These are some of the drawbacks of using paper ballots for voting. However, paper ballots may still have some benefits over electronic voting systems, depending on the context and the implementation of the voting process.
Post time: 15-05-23
