H.R. 550, legislation currently on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, would require paper verification of every vote cast and mandatory, random hand-counted audits to check against electronic tallies. To anyone who has read U.S. Rep. John Conyer’s report on the appalling shenanigans in the crucial Ohio elections in 2004, this legislation is obviously necessary.

If we think it’s unacceptable to get groceries without a receipt, we should surely support legislation that applies that same basic principle of verification to our votes.

Mary Hunter, Lewiston