We're about to finish the 2008 election cycle with the conclusion of two elections for the United States Senate, a recount in Minnesota and a runoff in Georgia. It's hard to imagine a better illustration of America's oddball and potentially disastrous election process.
The Senate election in Minnesota is being recounted in what most consider, ballot challenges aside, an admirably scrupulous process. [NOTE: A commenter rightly pointed out that the process allows for many absentee ballots to be rejected for apparently illegitimate reasons. Point well taken. The phrase "scrupulous process" applies to the hand counting process, which has been bipartisan and observable by the public, not necessarily to the ballot challenge process or the rejection of absentee ballots].
In Minnesota, every voter votes on a paper ballot read by optical scanners, and ballot-marking devices are available in every polling place to serve voters who cannot use a pen to mark a ballot due to vision, dexterity or other disabilities. Recounts are done by hand.
