It is not the job of the Federal Govt. to furnish the states with voting machines. That is left up to the individual counties. The machines are VERY expensive and in many counties the choice of how to spend the operating funds for the next year focuses more on social services and street repair than on the latest in voting machines.
Yes, scantron machines would certainly help. So would adequate help throughout the year to work on keeping the rolls current just for an example.
Mary, small precincts are nice but in some of our larger cities you'd have to have a precinct every few blocks. It simply is not practicle to do that. The expense alone would prevent it. And PLEASE don't bring up paper ballots AGAIN McGrath. The opportunities for fraud with the paper ballot are overwhelming. That's why we went to voting machines in the first place; to try to ensure more honest elections. Maybe you don't have these problems in England but we do and your solutions will not work for us.
Jon, glad I found thar column. Interesting, isn't it.

troll