Okay, Vicki and Pam I can answer your questions.
First about the machines. After the voting process is done the electronic voting machine prints 5 copies of the Voting Bulletin with the final result of that electoral section and they are signed by the Electoral Judge, Party Members and Board Members (all sections do the same thing). It's also created a disk that is taken to the Voting Center for the final votes to be counted. This disk is protected against reading because just the Central Computer can read it so there is no way it can have its information changed or it can be infected by a virus. Fraud is practically impossible. (I found this in a Brazilian site <g>)
As for losing data well all voting machines are tested and tested before the voting process starts and they are pretty safe. We're using this system since 2000 and nothing happened so far. When something happens is usually before the voting process starts and they can substitute the machine or get back to the old paper system.
As for the voting ID when we arrive in our section to vote the Board Member gets our voting ID and make us sign a paper. After that he/she digits our ID number so the voting machine can be free for us to vote. The vote is secret and when we're done the Board Member gives us our ID back.
I hope that could answer your questions well. I know it can be a little confusing but then which voting system is not confusing?
Raquel (who has faith in our voting system and is glad that we can vote and know the results so fast
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