Comment by Robin Schmidt (Voter)

To the Election Assistance Commission, Without an election system that can be independently verified, elections (and thus democracy) are meaningless. It is crucial to the integrity of elections that voting systems record and recover voter intent in a way that does not rely solely on software. Everyone who has ever used a computer or computerized device knows that they are all subject to errors - sometimes obvious, but sometimes more subtle. Furthermore, computer systems are subject not only to malfunctions, but also have the potential to be deliberateley manipulated - this can occur at any stage of their design, manufacture, and use. Because the methods used to do this can be extremely difficult to foresee, prevent, or even to detect, it is imperative that a system of verification independent of software be put in place. Thank you, Robin Schmidt