In light of Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd’s recent rejection of calls to hand count all mail-in ballots, VotRite, a leading voice in election technology and integrity, is publicly backing the decision, citing serious concerns about cost, accuracy, and security.
“VotRite completely agrees with Secretary Byrd that hand counting of ballots would be unwieldy,” says Christopher H. Baum, VotRite’s election integrity lead. “In fact, hand counting significantly increases the cost of tabulating ballots, delays reporting of final results, increases opportunities for post-election ballot tampering, and reduces accuracy of the final tallying.”
Baum, a nationally recognized expert in election systems, has spent over 30 years advising states including New York, Arizona, and Delaware on election regulation and technology. He testified before Congress in support of the Help America Vote Act and helped guide New York City’s Board of Elections in selecting its next-generation voting system. With more than 90 Gartner reports authored on voting tech, Baum brings unmatched insight into the challenges and innovations shaping election security today.
As Florida navigates the tension between voter trust and partisan skepticism, Baum offers a clear-eyed perspective rooted in decades of experience: “Technology, when properly certified and secured, is our best defense against both error and manipulation. Hand counting is not only inefficient, it’s a step backward.”
Christopher H. Baum is available for interviews and commentary.
Christopher H. Baum has spent more than 30 years delivering high-quality IT analysis and services on the use of technology in government and in the election industry in particular. He advised the States of New York, Arizona, and Delaware on election regulation and legislation, as well as other states and jurisdictions on general election issues. He testified before the U.S. House of Representatives House Administration Committee in support of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and US Elections Assistance Commission (EAC).
With comprehensive expertise in the protection and security of election data, as well as technological development and improvements in voter systems, Baum assisted the Board of Elections of the City of New York in selecting its next-generation voting system under HAVA. Baum has authored more than 90 Gartner reports on a myriad of technology including voting tech, providing unique insight in the election technology sphere and including Garner’s evaluation of voting machine vendors’ response to BOE’s request for poll-site voting systems data. Baum currently manages certification processes and election integrity at VotRite.
