Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Why Does a Voting Machine Need Calibration?

Posted by timothy on from the to-reset-the-defrobnosticator dept.

New submitter Shotgun writes "I heard on the radio that there were some issues with voting machines in Greensboro, NC (my hometown), and the story said the machines just needed "recalibration". Which made me ask, "WTF? Why does a machine for choosing between one of a few choices need 'calibration'?" This story seems to explain the issue."

1 of 398 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Touchscreens... by hawguy · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Anyone that's ever worked with touchscreens before knows that those things need frequent recalibration

    Maybe in 1995 when touch screens were new technology.

    My smartphone has no way to calibrate it because it's not necessary. I can believe that calibration-free touch screens are more expensive than cheap ones that need constant calibration.

    I don't recall my bank's ATM screen ever being out of calibration either. Maybe it was calibrated at install time, but it doesn't seem to slip out of calibration.

    Which ignores the point that regardless of the touch screen calibration, it's trivial to design a UI that gives immediate feedback that the correct selection was picked.

    Aside from a simple check mark next to the chosen candidate's name, how about inverting the color of the entire name field making it clear which one has been chosen?