Doesn't the FEC Have Authority to Demand Paper Ballots for Federal Elections? I mean, really, isn't that right? States can keep/use their ol' electronic versions for their State Elections, but FEDERAL elections could require them to use paper ballots. Then, could they also require manual counting, too?  So, even if the States' machines can scan paper ballots, they would still be required to be manually counted for FEDERAL ballots.  Their scans, then, could be considered only of 'preliminary' value for comparison. Federal ballots could also be accounted for by serialization and logging, with ALL ballots sent out also returned, even if voided or not used. Chain of custody rules established. It'd also be good to get a receipt of your voting at the time. Just a thought.  FEC has authority to control Federal Elections.