DENVER -- Forget paper or plastic. Colorado's 2008 election is coming down to paper -- machine or mail-in -- and one option appears to be leading so far.

The battle over the ballots began when the secretary of state decertified most of the electronic voting machines last month.

That entire process was criticized on Thursday.

"Recertification testing in Colorado is flawed, in our belief," said Peter Lichtenheld, marketing director for Hart Intercivic of Austin, Texas, one of the manufacturers of electronic voting machines.

Also criticized at a public meeting Thursday at the state Capitol were the the electronic voting machines themselves and the companies that maintain them.

"Private companies currently running our elections have proved themselves unworthy of our trust," said Margaret Johanson, a paper ballot supporter.

Most of the people at the public hearing seemed to support paper ballots that are hand counted at traditional voting precincts.

"Precinct-counted paper ballots is the gold standard, it is where we should go," said Mariah Conroy, a voter.

"We support hand-counted paper ballots and we think that can be done in 2008 in Colorado," said Cary Lacklen of Coloradans for Voting Integrity.

More than 100 people showed up at the state Capitol to discuss what role direct recording electronic machines, or DREs, should have in Colorado's elections. Some claim DREs are unreliable and shouldn't be used at all.

"We counted it as a yes and the Hart system counted it as a no," said one of the speakers at the hearing.

In mid-December, Secretary of State Mike Coffman decertified most DREs, including two of the four systems by Hart Intercivic.

The Hart Intercivic spokesman reminded Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, who was holding the public hearing, that the November election is fast approaching. He encouraged Gordon and Coffman to work with the manufacturing company on a solution, instead of tossing out the electronic voting system entirely.

"Changing the systems takes time, effort and financing," Lichtenheld said. "No one should falsely alarm the public over the integrity of elections conducted on the Hart voting system. The Hart voting system is accurate to the tolerances allowed by federal law."

Coffman advocated paper ballots while a majority of county clerks favor an all-mail ballot.

Most people at the hearing said they were glad to have their concerns heard, and they may have another chance to speak. Gordon told the crowd once lawmakers get back to work next Wednesday any legislative fix they might propose will include further testimony and further public hearing.

Coffman is also hoping lawmakers will pass a law allowing him to accept the federal government's certification of the controversial electronic machines.

Editor's Note: The quote "We counted it as a yes and the Hart system counted it as a no" was previously attributed to a county clerk. However, it was not a clerk but one of the voting system naysayers who said it. We regret the error.