Electronic voting machines, spreading through the country, are attractive and easy to operate, but they still have flaws.

LD 1759, which Gov. Baldacci signed into law as the legislative session drew to a close, provides powerful protection for Maine voters.

The Florida chads of the hang-fire 2000 presidential election gave paper ballots a bad name. But many of the shiny new voting machines that have been thrown into action in other states are subject to manipulation and lack any paper trail to follow in checking on reported irregularities.

Maine’s new law prohibits unverifiable, paperless touch screens or Internet voting. But through a strategic compromise with the Secretary of State’s Office, it manages to comply with a new federal voting act that safeguards the rights of the blind and visually impaired. As part of the deal, the voter-verified paper trail is waived temporarily for the blind in the eventual selection of new voting machines.

As Rep. Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, explains the compromise, the legislation requires a report by the secretary of state by Jan. 15, 2005, of the type of equipment planned for purchase for the disabled. The law also places a moratorium on any new purchases until March 15, 2005. Those dates will give the Legislature opportunity to review the equipment to ensure that it provides a paper trail as well as verifiability for machines to be used by the blind.

Thus, the blind will have the satisfaction of being able to vote unassisted, while the Legislature retains the power of oversight to ensure all votes are verifiable.

Rep. Pingree adds the helpful suggestion that the best type of new voting machine will handle both concerns, since machines purchased for the blind and sight-impaired are likely to be electronic and probably will be in all polling places and used by all voters.

It was well worth the struggle to have a fair and practical law enacted and to put Maine in the forefront of voting reform.