Each voter can verify that his vote was not discarded, and was correctly used and not altered, in the computation of the election result.

Each voter may verify that his votes were counted by searching for the identifier on his receipt amongst the published ballots.

What is needed is a paper record of each voter's choices that the voter can verify.

Requiring these systems to create a paper backup of digital ballots that voters can verify before leaving the polls is the best way to give them greater confidence.

"A piece of paper that the voter verifies before casting the vote at least leaves behind a tangible record of the voter's intention."

Although Sequoia's machines may be widely used, the Advantage cannot print a paper record that allows voters to verify their choices.

Still, voters and observers who understood the process could mathematically verify that no ballots were added, lost or altered.

This would let voters verify that their votes were registered as they intended and allow election officials to conduct recounts.

Representative Rush Holt has introduced a bill calling for each machine to produce a paper record that the voter verifies.

That's because the voter can see the paper vote and verify that it's correct, which she cannot do with the digital one.