RE: Improving the LAT (Re: Bad ballot markings)

["Jan Kok" <kok@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think the ballot scanners should reject ballots that are ambiguously
marked, just as they reject ballots that have votes for more than one
candidate when only a single candidate may be voted for.

The scanners presently accept the tiniest mark inside an oval as a vote.
Such marks could come from a voter accidentally touching the paper with
the pen where not intended, or could also be a defect in the printed
ballot, or a bit of dirt, hair or clothing fibers that stuck to the
ballot.  If such an unintended mark appeared in an oval for a contest in
which the voter made no selection, then the scanner would misinterpret
the stray mark as a valid vote, contrary to the voters' intention.

If the scanner rejected ballots which have ovals that are detectably
marked but less than, say 30 or 50% filled, or that have ovals with
substantial marks outside the oval but less than 30% filled inside, then
voters would have a chance to touch up their ballots or spoil their
ballots and start over with a new one.  The result would be that any
ballots accepted by the scanners would be unambiguous as to whether any
give oval is marked or not.  In a recount situation, the scanners would
not reject ambiguous ballots, but just count ovals that are less than
15% filled as not marked, and ovals that are 15% or more filled as
marked.  Since no ballots should have ovals that are anywhere near 15%
marked, all scanners should read all ballots the same way.

Cheers,
- Jan