One of the more fascinating topics that has emerged from the drama that is our Presidential elections is this whole business of matching names of registered voters against various official State databases.

Now, as a database-guy, it may seem obvious to me that the whole idea of trying to get exact matches based on people's names or addresses is downright medieaval (by information age-standards). The news networks keep pointing out how easily someone can mispell a name. That's certainly true but even if the names were exact there is just no gaurantee I am who I say I am just by name alone.

We live in one of the most information-techologically advanced nation on this earth and our elected officials still do not get the idea that we cannot gaurantee uniqueness by name alone? Can't we come up with a better voter-id system that doesn't trample on anyone's constitutional rights or disenfranchise people?

 Incidentally, name matching is an interesting challenge. We've done some sophisticated stuff with fuzzy-logic to good effect. At the end of the day, it comes down to making a decision about the probability of a good match. You have to draw the line somewhere. And if you do, some will fall through the cracks...the question is not who but what is acceptable in the name of efficiency.

 Vote and vote early!