One of the major issues of this election are the electronic voting machines and their susceptibility to fraud. It's a huge problem because it undermines the faith of the electorate in voting process. Why vote if your vote won't be counted or, worse, will be counted for someone or some thing you voted against? Hard to believe this is happening in 2006 in the so-called greatest Democracy on Earth, but the facts are plain for everyone to see.

I'm against touch screen voting machines. Far too dangerous. What I prefer is an optical scanning system that leaves no room for doubt and an incorruptible paper. There are hanging chads or other detritus of 19th century voting technology. Instead you have a a series of arrows for every election on the ballot. Each arrow is broken in the middle. Simply connect the arrow for the candidate you want by filling in the space between the head and the tail of the arrow. Clear as day.

This ballot is then fed into an optical scanner. The voter receives instant confirmation of a vote cast and counted. Even if there is a problem with the scanner, as there was at my voting place this morning, ballots can be held until the scanner is repaired or taken to another voting place to be scanned.

The time for each state to develop its own system is clearly over. We need a national standard and that standard should be optical scanners. End of story.