With the election less than 50 days away and campaigns and groups alike working frantically to win every possible vote, the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the 2004 election will certainly be in the news.

Although many reforms have been made since the Florida voting debacle in 2000, it still appears voting machinery will be in the news with citizens’ groups in many states up in arms over unproven electronic voting machines which leave no paper record to recount. As recently as last Tuesday, Maryland senator tried out one of the new machines which will be used in November in her state – but accidentally registered the wrong vote. Casting doubts aside, the Maryland court of appeals ruled yesterday the machines provided a “reasonable” level of security.

Just in time for all the voting-machine controversy, the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History has an exhibit to help you put things into perspective. The exhibit, “Vote: the Machinery of Democracy” features the history of the mechanisms of voting in America. (Check out this NPR piece on the exhibit.)

The exhibit has a special section on the Florida 2000 election including the infamous butterfly ballot, and even a magnifying glass used to inspect the chad. Don’t think you can spare the time until after the election? No problem – the exhibit is showing through Jan. 30, 2005.