Following the fiasco in Florida, the nation still has not learned its lesson. Unfortunately, that includes New York, too, which is among the states that have not done enough to reform and modernize the way we hold elections.

New Yorkers have gotten awfully used to voting on almost amazingly old voting machines, which are not handicapped-accessible. That's sad enough.

We need technologically savvy machines that nonetheless offer old-fashioned evidence of a voter's intentions. That is not too much to ask for, but those who have stalled reform across our land make it sound insanely idealistic.

There are a lot of different agendas in the mix here, including those companies that want the bids for voting machines. But the interest of the voters too often get lost-especially in New York State, where there have been significant delays in state certification of voting machines. Last year the New York City Board of Elections heard testimony about the selection of voting machines, where State Sen. Liz Krueger was among those promoting what are called "Precinct Based Optical Scanning" systems. She rightly said they are preferable to Direct Recording Electronic, or DRE, sep-ups, which make verification difficult even when there's a paper trail.

In the end, though, these are not really just technical issues. They go to the heart of a democracy. People must believe that their votes are being counted. Better yet, they should be right that their votes are being counted.

Alas, we live in an era of suspicion. More and more voters tell pollsters that they expect everything from computer glitches to downright chicanery in the counting process. It's hard to blame the average American for being cynical on this issue. After Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004-and, to be fair, stretching back to Illinois in 1960 and so many other states in so many other years-there is reason to worry. Both the federal government and most states have done startlingly little to make needed improvements since the Bush-Gore recount.

A year from now New Yorkers, like the rest of the nation, will be deciding what we can expect to be a competitive and critical Presidential election. Again. We should not live through another national campaign wondering exactly where the mix-ups and glitches will take place, where there will be the greatest doubt about whose votes were counted inaccurately or not at all. Again. If we do not, as a nation, do something about the practical problems surrounding how we operate our elections, we will have to keep the Supreme Court on speed-dial every fourth November.

New Yorkers, should pave the way in making certain that the outcome, at least in the Empire states, is not in doubt because of technical glitches. This is the kind of innovation that must command the attention of leaders in both parties, at every level of government. Voters should demand nothing less. They should remember once they are utilizing voting equipment to hold accountable those who did-or did not-help bring about wise and desperately needed changes.