The doggone things will only get used maybe 3~4 times a year MAX if you include local elections. Then they'll sit and gather dust, and become "obsolete" before the next election.
IMHO, the optical scanners are the best approach at the moment: they simplify the task of counting the ballots/votes, instantly reject a ballot if an error is made (allowing the voter to make "corrections") and will not confuse the senior citizens who are accustomed to marking paper ballots.
I'm dead set against sytems with no paper-trail.