Hamilton: If Indiana wants more secure elections, we need a voter verifiable paper audit trail

INDIANAPOLIS – State Representative Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) today introduced a proposal to strengthen the security of elections in Indiana. Amendment #1 to Senate Bill 179 would have required a verifiable paper audit trail for counties in Indiana that use Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines.  Approximately fifty-eight of Indiana’s counties still lack a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT).

“This proposal is about ensuring the integrity of every vote cast in Indiana,” said Hamilton. “It directs entities with relevant authority to provide a verifiable paper audit trail for every voting machine in Indiana ahead of the 2020 election.”

A VVPAT records and verifies votes on paper that can be verified by the voter before they officially cast their ballot and then recounted later in the event that there are any discrepancies or concerns about the outcome.

“I’m extremely disappointed that this proposal was defeated - this is a basic fundamental element of our democracy,” Hamilton continued. “I am absolutely confident that most Hoosiers would support this proposal to make elections more secure and fair for everyone.”

The amendment was voted down along party lines.

In March of 2018, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen told the Senate Intelligence Committee that continued use of systems without a VVPAT is a national security threat. In 2018 and 2019 West Lafayette experienced issues with their DRE machines, and, unfortunately, they did not use VVPAT technology. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., require a VVPAT for voting machines. To meet this requirement, jurisdictions may use paper ballots and scanners, or an electronic voting machine (DRE) equipped with a device that produces a paper record that a voter can verify before the final act of casting a ballot.