More information on SB392

I have obtained a copy of Senate Bill 392 which I am told passed the Maryland Senate today. I read through it, and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it definitely requires paper ballots and optical scanners by 2010. While I would strongly prefer 2008, at this point, I will take a guarantee that we will have this technology by 2010. However, what troubles me is that the required manual randam audit text has been removed from the original bill. While this new system will have audit capability, it is critical that audits be required and random. Hopefully, this can be fixed after the fact. For now, I still view this development as a minor victory.