>How do the machines work? Is there some sort of permanent record detailing every vote, with time stamps, booth number, etc.? Does anyone here know about this?

The machines record the votes as you go. With the old mechanical machines (which provided a much more satisfactory sensory experience < g >), when the polls closed, the judge of elections used a special key to open the machine and read off the numbers for each candidate. They were recorded on special forms and delivered to the county. One copy was posted at the polling place (by law).

In my county, we now have electronic machines. I'm not sure whether they still read off the results or have some kind of a phone-in system. Given that we vote in all kinds of community places that may or may not have phonelines available, I kind of believe it's the former.

As I understand it, the vote count on election night is unofficial. The machines are returned to the county and there's an official reading sometime later.

Tamar