Americans are proud of their democracy. But the controversy over the Florida election recount revealed profound flaws in the way we vote. Immediately after the 2000 election, the smooth transition of government, a hallmark of American democracy, seemed to hang on the workings of antiquated computer technology -- the punch card. Even more profoundly, the 2000 and 2002 elections both revealed that the electoral process itself is evolving due to the impact of new information technologies, especially computer literacy and accessibility. It is essential that this evolution be guided by science and not left to chance.

This report discusses the progress of the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project as of January, 2003.