Don Palmer, a commissioner of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), nominated by then-President Donald Trump and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in 2019, said the United States is moving to conducting elections using paper ballots instead of paperless voting machines.
Palmer, who noted that the EAC’s “national security mission” is to develop standards for testing the accuracy and security of voting machines, said the United States could see the introduction of paper ballots for universal suffrage “within a few years.”
“We’re moving toward paper voting. Less than 5 percent of states are using electronic machines. We’re moving toward that, and I would say in a few years… 100 percent of states and localities will be using paper voting,” Palmer explained in a Friday interview. episode With Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
As for the EAC’s work testing the accuracy and security of voting machines still in utilize in states across the country, Palmer said the process a machine goes through to get approved is convoluted.
“The reality is that when we test, [the voting machines] in the laboratory must meet these standards. There are over 1200 of them… They are accredited [labs] in Alabama and Colorado. So we have bipartisan labs when it comes to these accredited labs that we audit, and they have, essentially, much smarter people than I do doing these tests,” Palmer said.
Palmer also addressed concerns about illegal immigrants voting in the upcoming presidential election, explaining that election directors in some states, including Tennessee, will “do everything in their legal power” to ensure illegal immigrants do not vote.
“Election officials, including Tennessee, both state and local, will do everything in their power under the law to verify any type of application that comes in. For example, you use the DMV, you use the courts, and they will verify the identity of the person and their citizenship. The DMVs are actually the most effective because they characterize the status of the person, but they are not foolproof. We know that there are prosecutions that sometimes end up being prosecuted,” Palmer explained.
“So we know it’s not foolproof. Election officials are doing everything they can. So what happens, for example, here in Tennessee, you and other states are sending out inquiries, letters, asking people that we weren’t able to verify this or we don’t have the evidence to prove it… That’s very common. That’s very common because if you can’t verify someone, you want to send them a letter, give them the opportunity to provide evidence or say, ‘Hey, look, double-check your records,'” Palmer added.
As for his position at the EAC, Palmer, who is also a lawyer, admitted the job “demands” him every day.
“I’m a lawyer by trade, but this is what motivates me every day. This is what motivates me. I was in the military, the mission… The detail that’s required in this position motivates me every day,” Palmer said.
When the Senate confirmed his nomination in 2019, Palmer, who was then serving as elections director in Florida and Virginia, said he felt “very comfortable” with the Senate given his track record of facilitating fair elections.
“As a Republican, you’re always a vote suppressor, right? But the reality is that in my position, I probably made it easier for 30 million people to vote in several elections. Some of them President Obama won, some of them Republicans won. So I felt very comfortable in my skin that I made it easier to vote, roughly in the middle of both Republicans and Democrats,” Palmer said.
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Kaitlin Houser he is a reporter in Tennessee Star AND Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
