state and local election officials after the various problems faced in that election. Now more than ever, election officials play a vital role in all kinds of elections to ensure a more secure and safer place to vote. Election reform About 85% of election officials, or LEOs, are very satisfied with their current voting systems. However, many reported areas in which improvement was needed such as accuracy in counting, reliability, security, and ease of use by voters. These days votes are taken by optical scan and direct recording electronics' (DRE), but LEOs have received negative average ratings for not using other systems such as punchcards, lever machines, and hand-counter paper ballots. Many of these older voting systems have been used for 40 years or more in various voting areas. Experienced voters are familiar with these old systems, but they are not as reliable in terms of efficiency as compared to newer systems. The 2000 US presidential election is an example of how continued use of old voting systems can cause various problems. As newer voting systems come along, LEOs will be able to provide the accuracy and reliability that they are looking for. See also Returning officer Scrutineer External links Elections Office of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Page describing the duties of an election judge Elections County officers in the United States References