In the case of paper ballot counting, there are many observers in the room and people are going to know if there is a fix going on.
With electronic vote counting machines, only one programmer needs to be paid or threatened.
One notable election where electronic vote counting was used, was in Brazil when Lula was elected.
quoting"The state notably uses paper ballot counting machines that aren't connected to the internet and are tested before elections."
note19ff…8pz3
The ballots are indeed paper but if the software on a counting machine is compromised, does it really matter whether the machine is air-gapped?
Who tests these machines before the election?
Do they have the access or skills to inspect the code?
If the inspector is a state or federal employee, does it not present a potential conflict of interest if one of the candidates is running on a platform to reduce the size of government?
Are there enough inspectors available to test all machines?
What if any practices are used to ensure that machines aren't tampered with between completion of pre-election testing and election day?
Are the machines tested after the election?
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/virginia-mandates-paper-ballots-tracking-and-proof-resideny-2024-election