By Roy Guisinger

While we have come to depend on computers, we have also become vulnerable to the misfortunes that go along with placing so much reliance upon one device. We are now subject to the whims of a hard-disk crash, corruption by viruses or worms, or even something so natural as a lightning strike. And for all of the possible problems, the benefit of using computers to accomplish our tasks usually far outweighs the risk.

And why not? Computers are very good at simplifying and automating

tedious tasks and storing large volumes of information. Let's look at banking as an example. When I need some money, I go down to the ATM and pull out some quick cash. I receive a printed receipt that shows the amount withdrawn and my account balance. At the end of the month, the bank's computer prints out a statement that shows the same information. If it isn't correct, I can take my statement to the bank office and ask about any unknown charges. The ATM can't give me $40.00 and debit my account by $60.00 without my knowledge.

There is a story of a man who programmed the accounting software for a large bank. Because a cent is the smallest amount of money an account could show, he realized that when the bank calculates interest, about half the time it rounds down to the nearest cent. Being a clever fellow, he decided to deposit that fraction of a cent into his own account, thinking nobody would be the wiser. No customers ever complained because the math was correct. The bank did not even notice for a long time because the calculations all appeared to add up. But eventually, a growing discrepancy led to an investigation. Apparently, the fellow made quite a lot of money before they caught him.

Whether that story is true or not, it could be. And it points out a couple of important things relating to computers. The first is that programmers, like anyone, can be unethical. They can also make honest mistakes. The second is that software programs are difficult to investigate, especially when they appear to be doing their intended job. A third is that hard-copy records are the key to locating computer problems, whether the problem originated with a malfunctioning ATM or an unscrupulous programmer.

Now consider the use of computers for registering and counting votes during an election. First, as we all know, votes are secret, so there is no way for the county elections official to send you a statement confirming your secret vote. Second, companies who build voting machines actually forbid anyone -- including voting officials -- from scrutinizing the computer programs. Third, unfortunately there really are unethical people who would like to influence our elections.

The good news is, here in Nebraska, we have retained paper ballots in all cases except for a few handicap-accessible machines. After voting, our paper ballots are taken away in a locked box and counted on a computer. Then, if there appears to be a problem, they will be recounted on another computer just like the first one. And that's a problem: by state law, ballots may not be recounted by hand, denying us any way to verify the computers are doing their job correctly.

But, compared with many states, we have the good life here in Nebraska with our paper ballots. This year, as people all over the nation vote in the primary and general elections, many of them will be voting by pressing a button on a computer screen that prints no receipt, provides no statement, and may not be verified by any election official. That's no way to do business and it's no way to vote. Let's be sure to keep paper ballots in our future.